Professor Chenning Tong will give an invited plenary talk at the 23rd Symposium on Boundary Layers and Turbulence in June 2018. He will discuss a new similarity theory on the atmospheric boundary layer, the multi-point Monin-Obukhov similarity theory, which he published in 2015. The prevailing theory on the subject has been the theoretical foundation for understanding the atmospheric boundary layer since its inception in the 1950s. However, it has been known since the late 1960s that there are major limitations of the theory that render the similarity in its framework incomplete. A resolution of this issue had eluded the boundary layer community for over 40 years. The multi-point Monin-Obukhov similarity theory overcomes the limitations, making the similarity complete. In addition to its significance in the fundamental understanding of the atmospheric boundary layer, the new theory also has implications for a wide range of applications, such as pollutant dispersion, atmospheric chemistry, wave propagation, and wind energy.
