The evolution of the suface waves for vertical free-falling films with Reynolds number ranging from 400to 5,100 was measured using multiple-point conint conductance sensors and a computer-based data acquisition system. The Physieal and mathematieal models describing the free-falling turbulent wavy films with the free surface boundary are presented. The governing equations are solved numerically in the film waves based on the coordinate transformation of the measured time-dependent film thickess data. The results show that the evolution of the surface waves has a remarkably nonlinear nature. The hydyrodnamics and velocity profiles at the wave front, the wave crest, and the wave back for the soliary waves indicate significant effects of the soliary surface waves with interior reeirculation flow on heat and mass transfer enhancement. A correlation for an average heat transfer coefficient is proposed as a function of the Reynolds and Prandtl numbers based on the measurements.