The large-eddy simulation (LES) technique has its origins in planetary boundary layer (PBL) research; Jim Deardorff and Doug Lilly invented this technique in the early 1970s while they worked at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Now LES has become a popular tool for studying a wide class of turbulent flows.

In this talk, I will briefly describe the LES technique as used in geophysical flows, give an overview of PBL turbulence and cloud problems, show the role of LES in PBL research, and point out my future research direction.