Bruce Sutherland, PhD

About

Biography

• BMath (1983-1987), Applied and Pure Mathematics, University of Waterloo
• MSc Physics (1987-1988), Dept Physics, University of Toronto
• PhD Physics (1988-1994), Dept Physics, University of Toronto
• Research Associate (1995-1997), Dept Applied Mathematics & Theoretical Physics, U. Cambridge
• Asst/Assoc/Full Professor (1997-2007), Dept Mathematical & Statistical Sciences, U. Alberta
• Professor (2007-), Dept of Physics and of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, U. Alberta

Other Positions

• Director (2012-2018), Institute for Geophysical Research, U. Alberta
• Associate Editor (2014-2016), Physics of Fluids
• Editorial Committee Member (2015-2020), Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics
• Associate Editor (2016-), Physical Review Fluids

Awards

• McCalla Research Professorship (2006-2007)
• Killam Annual Professor (2010-2011)
• Gledden Visiting Senior Fellowship (2012)
• Churchill Overseas Fellowship (2012)
• Fellow of the American Physical Society (elected 2016)

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Research

Interests

• atmospheric, oceanic and environmental fluid dynamics
• stratified flows, internal waves, plumes and gravity currents
• particle-bearing and particle-laden flows

Skills

• laboratory experiments, numerical simulations and mathematical theory

Climatological, Environmental and Industrial Applications

• particle transport in rivers and the ocean (clays and microplastics)
• collective particle settling and turbulent resuspension with impact upon off-shore oil and marine biology
• clay - plastic interactions including flocculation and diffusion-limited aggregation
• transport and mixing by oceanic internal waves

Lab - Environmental and Industrial Fluids Laboratory

3-257 CCIS

This interdisciplinary experimental laboratory brings together researchers in Atmosphere-Ocean Dynamics, Physics, Engineering and Mathematics. Wide-ranging problems are studied from the Earth's circulation, to waves in the atmosphere and ocean, plumes, gravity currents, particle transport, percolation flows, viscous flows, etc.

Collaborator: Morris Flynn

EAS 270 - The Atmosphere

An introduction to weather. Atmospheric composition, vertical structure and energetics. Humidity and clouds, stratification and instability. Atmospheric motion on the global and synoptic scales. Air masses, fronts and storms. Introduction to weather maps, weather analysis and numerical weather prediction models. Weather map discussions. Prerequisite: Any 100-level Mathematics or Physics course, or SCI 100.

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PHYS 310 - Thermodynamics and Kinetic Theory

Temperature: heat, work, and the first law of thermodynamics; entropy and the second law, enthalpy, Helmholtz and Gibbs free energy; thermodynamic equilibrium criteria; Maxwell's relations, phase transitions; elementary kinetic theory of gases. Prerequisites: one of PHYS 124, PHYS 144, or EN PH 131, and one of PHYS 126, PHYS 146, PHYS 181, or PHYS 130. Corequisite: MATH 209 or 215 or 315 or 317 or MA PH 351 or equivalent.

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PHYS 481 - Electromagnetic Theory II

Electromotive force; Faraday's law; inductance; Maxwell's equations in free space and in matter; electromagnetic potentials; gauges; energy and momentum conservation laws; plane waves in vacuum, in nonconducting and in conducting media; reflection and refraction of electromagnetic waves; dispersion, wave guides; dipole radiation; radiation due to moving charge; radiation reaction. Prerequisite: PHYS 381, and MA PH 251 or MATH 337 or ECE 341 or equivalent.

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Browse more courses taught by Bruce Sutherland

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L.E. Baker and B.R. Sutherland

J. Fluid Mech.. 2020 May; 891

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B.R. Sutherland and Riley Jefferson

Phys. Rev. Fluids. 2020 March; 5

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D. Deepwell, R. Sapede, L. Buchart, G.E. Swaters and B.R. Sutherland,

Phys. Rev. Fluids. 2020 February; 5

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B. R. Sutherland and N. J. Balmforth

Physical Review Fluids. 4

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B. R. Sutherland, M. K. Gingras, C. Knudson, L. Steverango and C. Surma

Physical Review Fluids. 3

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T. S. van den Bremer, H. Yassin and B. R. Sutherland

Journal of Fluid Mechanics.