Joost Businger—A Pioneer in Atmospheric Boundary Layer Research

Abstract This paper provides a historical review of our understanding of the workings of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), the part of the lower atmosphere, typically ≤1 km in depth, that directly feels the influence of Earth’s surface. It is written from the perspective of the career of Joost A. Businger (1924–2023), a pioneer in this area, who realized that the atmospheric boundary layer holds great practical importance in the sense that most of humankind’s activities take place within it and scientific importance in the sense that the boundary layer forms the interface between the free atmosphere and Earth’s surface and therefore plays a major role in our weather and climate. Significance Statement This paper reviews progress in our understanding of relationships between the surface layer and circulations in the ABL and in our understanding of air–sea interaction during the past century. The relationships form a cornerstone that numerical weather and climate models rely upon.