George Ilhwan

Mar 20, 2024 | pnas.org | George Ilhwan |Amanda Giang |Morgan Edwards

SignificanceWe live within the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL), where air flow feels the friction of the planet’s surface, producing turbulence. When ABLs encounter changes in roughness—from sea to land, or rural to city—a near-surface region with distinct turbulence characteristics develops. The structure within influences transport of heat and dust; yet, data in this region are sparse, with existing models unable to capture important behaviors.