Boris M. Smirnov was born in 1938 in Moscow. In 1962, he graduated from Moscow's Engineering-Physical Institute in theoretical nuclear physics and obtained his Doctor of Phys. Mat. Science in 1968. He became Professor of physics in 1970. Between 1962 and 1982, he was Head of Laboratory at the Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy (Moscow), then from 1982 to 1986, Head of Laboratory at the Institute of Thermophysics (Novosibirsk), and from 1986, Head of Laboratory and Head of Department, and, currently, Main Scientist at the Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Science. B.M. Smirnov was Member of the editorial board of several journals of various publishers. He was Professor at the Moscow Power Institute, Novosibirsk, State University and the Moscow Institute of Science and Technology, and is Laureate of the National Prize of Russia. His research focuses on theoretical physics, atomic, molecular, cluster, plasma, and chemical physics. He is the author of 60 books and about 500 papers.

Introduction.- Global Properties of Atmospheric Air.- Transport Processes in Atmospheric Air.- Condensation Processes in Atmosphere.- Energetics of the Earth.- Emission of the Atmosphere.