Alexander Obukhov

Alexander Mikhailovich Obukhov (; 5 May 1918 – 3 December 1989) was a Soviet and Russian geophysicist 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.

Early life and education Obukhov was born on 5 May 1918 in Saratov. He finished high school in 1934 but could not write the entrance examination of Saratov University because he was too young. During his graduate studies with Kolmogorov, he also worked at the Institute for Theoretical Geophysics of the USSR Academy of Sciences, recently created by Otto Schmidt.