Alexander Obukhov

Who was Alexander Obukhov?

Alexander Mikhailovich Obukhov was a Russian physicist and applied mathematician known for his contributions to statistical theory of turbulence and atmospheric physics. He was one of the founders of modern boundary layer meteorology. He served as the Head of the theoretical department at Sternberg Astronomical Institute, a division of Moscow State University.

Obukhov’s 1946 fundamental paper on a universal length scale for exchange processes in the surface layer was the basis for the derivation of the Monin–Obukhov similarity theory in 1954. The Monin–Obukhov similarity theory and the Monin–Obukhov Length are named after him and Russian Academician Andrei Monin.