The Institute of Atmospheric Physics (ÚFA) of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic was founded on January 1, 1964. Research activity currently covers the entire atmosphere of the Earth - from the ground layer to interplanetary space. In the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, the ÚFA ranks among the medium-sized institutes - it employs over 80 employees, most of whom have university degrees. The institute is divided into four scientific departments and one research group. It is based in Prague 4, Spořilov.
The Department of Meteorology studies methods that can refine the local forecast of meteorological phenomena (e.g. precipitation or storms), by processing outputs from numerical weather forecast models. He also works on mathematical modeling of the flow in the boundary layer of the atmosphere (which is the part of the atmosphere closest to the earth's surface) and the spread of harmful impurities in the atmosphere. The study of the influence of cloud cover and precipitation on the attenuation of electromagnetic waves in the atmosphere and the interpretation of measurements by meteorological radars are also important. In recent years, attention has also been paid to research into the causes of extreme rainfall in our territory. The Milešovka and Kopisty observatories are part of the department. Milešovka (837 m above sea level) is the longest functioning mountain meteorological station in the Czech Republic - climatological observations have been carried out there practically without interruption since 1905. A long series of observations is a valuable source of information for the study of climate change. In recent years, UV-B radiation has also been measured at Milešovka, and water samples have been taken from the fog. Kopisty u Mostu (240 m a.s.l.) lies in the Podorušnohora coal basin; vertical profiles of wind, temperature and humidity are automatically measured there on an 80 m high mast.
The Department of Climatology and Aeronomy is involved in research on two major global problems in the Earth's atmosphere, namely long-term climate change and ozone depletion. The department is specifically concerned with the analysis of observed changes and climate variability and the estimation of changes that may occur in the near future due to the strengthening of the greenhouse effect; then by deepening the knowledge about the ozonosphere and studying the possibilities of predicting changes in total ozone in the atmosphere. Employees of the department also investigate the effects of solar and geomagnetic activity on the atmosphere and ionosphere, and the effects of events in the neutral atmosphere on the ionosphere. Part of the department is the ionospheric observatory in Průhonice.