There is large volume of water (1370 x 10⁶ km³) on the earth surface. The 97% is seawater and 2% is snow or ice; therefore, only less than 1% is freshwater. This much of water can be used by human very quickly; however, water circulates and freshwater for our life is always regenerated. Especially, in Japan surrounded by ocean, fairly warm and humid environment is kept by the surrounding ocean, and resulting high precipitation, abundant freshwater, and rich forests. However, there are many areas where water is not enough on the earth. On the contrast, many disasters related water, such as torrential rainfall, typhoon, and flood are happening in some parts of the world. Recently, the water circulation seems to be changing with possible climate changes, and the detail research is necessary.

Hydrospheric Atmospheric Research Center, Nagoya University, is the only one research center in Japan, focusing water circulation through atmosphere, land, ocean and biosphere, and established in 2001. The center is conducting research of the water circulation on the earth surface and the dynamics from local weather events, such as typhoon, to precipitation in large areas, as well as the interactions between the weather and climate with land vegetation and ocean ecosystem. Researches with field and satellite observations and numerical modeling are conducted. From 2010, this center was approved as one of the Joint Usage/Research Centers by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan, and is conducting cooperative research with many universities and research institutes.

April 1, 2013
Hydrospheric Atmospheric Research Center
Prof, Joji ISHIZAKA, Director