Sergey Sergeevich Lappo

(27.03.1938-05.01.2006)

The director of P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IO RAS), Corresponding Member of RAS, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Sergey Sergeevich Lappo died a sudden death at 5th January 2006. This is a great and irreplaceable loss for all of us, for the Institute and Russian Academy of Sciences.

After graduating from Moscow State University in 1960 Sergey Lappo was a post-graduate student of Vasilij Vladimirovich Shuleykin and defended a Ph.D. thesis concerning the influence of atmospheric perturbations on oceanic currents and worked at MSU Physics faculty. In 1972 he left for working at newly founded Sakhalin Integrated Scientific and Research Institute (now Sea Geology and Geophysics Institute), where later worked as assistant director and alternate director.

In 1979 Sergey Lappo defended a thesis for a Doctor's degree. In 1981 he became a head of Ocean Physics Laboratory and in 1988 the director of State Oceanographic Institute of Roscomgidromet. During those years Sergey Lappo performed his pioneer works in studying oceanic climate and interactions of ocean and atmosphere. Unique researches of all the energy conversion mechanisms in the ocean-atmosphere system were performed under his direction.

In 1993 Sergey Lappo became the assistant director and in 1995 the director of RAS Institute of Oceanology and leaded the Institute for last 10 years. In these hard times the Institute not just survived but became one of the most successful research centers of Russia. During these years Sergey Lappo obtained unique results in the field of Nothern Atlantics circulation researches, explained the role of oceanic processes at intermediate and greater depths in global climate formation, fulfilled totally new researches of World Ocean level. New lines of investigation were created in the Institute under his direction and new researches were started in the frameworks of many state and international projects. A collective of like-minded persons united by common purposes, ideas and mutual responsibility has formed in the Institute owing to Sergey Lappo.

Sergey Lappo was a member of many international leading committees within the World Climatic Program, vice-president of the Council for studying the World Ocean SCOR, he stood at the cradle of WOCE international program and at the final conference of that program he was named among 10 people that determined its success.

Since 1995 Sergey Lappo also was the Head of the Chair of Oceanology in MSU. Keeping traditions of the creator of the Chair N. N. Zubov he taught students to love and understand the ocean, and students loved and respected him much.

Sergey Lappo was the author of more than 300 scientific works, more than 10 monographs and scientific adviser of several tens of dissertation works. He was decorated with many government awards, in recent years his work was noted by leaders of the Government of Russia. He was an encyclopedically educated man deeply knowing the nature of ocean and climate. He was a man of amazing modesty and honesty, human kindness and culture. We all knew that.

The death of Sergey Lappo is the lost past recovery for all of us. It’s hard to overestimate that he has done for the Institute. Sergey Sergeevich Lappo will forever remain in memory of people that knew him.