Mark Zheleznyak
Prof. of Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, Japan
Profile
Researches are focused on the environmental modelling in several areas: watershed hydrology, river flow, flood forecasting (1971–1973 and 2000–now), coastal hydrodynamics – waves (including tsunami), currents, turbulence, sediment transport (1975–1986, 1998–2013), radionuclide transport in surface waters, decision support systems for nuclear emergency management (1986–now).
Main Focus of Research
- Modeling of radionuclide transport in surface waters after Chornobyl and Fukushima Daiichi accidents
- Development and implementation of the decision support systems for offsite nuclear emergency management
- Computational hydrology, river & marine computational hydraulics & fluid dynamics
Fields of Research
Environmental modelling, hydrological dispersion of radionuclides
Keywords
Fukushima prefecture, Chornobyl, radionuclides, radiocesium, modelling, sediments, computational hydrology, computational hydraulics
Research Overview
His research activities started from the research in Computational Hydrology during the preparation of his Diploma of Engineer Hydrologist. However in his PhD studies he turned to the model development for coastal areas hydrodynamics. He developed the non-hydrostatic long wave model of wave transformation in coastal areas, which is well known as “Zheleznyak-Pelinovsky equations” in the Soviet tsunami research community. Also he studied the bottom turbulence boundary layer under the waves by the modelling tools. Next sharp turn in his researches happened on 5 May 1986 when his background in hydrological, hydraulic and fluid mechanics modelling was required by the Task Force Unit created at the Academy of Sciences of Ukrainian Soviet Republic for the assessment of the environmental consequences of the Chornobyl accident 26.04.1986. Guided by him hydrological team in that Unit was transformed at the end of 1986 into the Department of Environmental Modeling of Institute of Mathematical Machine and Systems. As a Head of the Department he was responsible for development of the set of the models which created the basis of the national decision support system for prediction 137Cs and 90Sr transport in the rivers impacted by the Chornobyl accident and for the justification of the water protection measures. The developed by his team models have been implemented since beginning of 90s into the EC funded real-time online decision support system for nuclear emergency – RODOS. The further improvements and extensions of RODOS were provided last decade within the EC RTD projects. The RODOS system is used in Crisis Centers of many countries. The models were tested within the set of IAEA CRP Programs: VAMP (he was a chairman of River/Reservoir Group), BIOMOVS, EMRAS, MODARIA. In 2013 he met a new challenge – the ability to implement his Chornobyl experience for the modelling of radionuclide transport in watersheds, rivers and reservoirs contaminated after the Fukushima Daiichi accident. He started the work in IER in November 2013. The scientists developed and customized for the Fukushima conditions a set of the watershed and river / reservoir / coastal areas models with the support from his former Kyiv team (the key role was played by Dr. Serhiy Kivva) using the data collected by the hydrological team of IER.
1973 – Diploma Engineer (M.Sc) Hydrological Engineering, Odessa State Environmental University, Ukraine
1974 – Meteorologist, Soviet Air Force
1975 – Junior Researcher then Researcher, Department of Wave Hydrodynamics, Institute of Hydromechanics, Academy of Sciences of Ukrainian Soviet Republic
1983 – Ph.D in Fluid Mechanics, Faculty of Mathematic and Mechanics, Kiev National University
1986 – Head, Department of Environmental Modeling, Institute of Mathematical Machines and Systems, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
2013 – Project Professor, Professor (04.2015–03.2016) at Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University
Awards
2004 – Ukrainian State Prize in Science and Technology, the country’s highest RTD award that has been awarded for the development and implementation of the computerized systems for the decision support to mitigate the consequences of the Chornobyl nuclear accident
2006 – the Medal of President of Ukraine “For Merits” for the inputs into the Chornobyl accident mitigation
