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 and Industrial Applications

• clear-air turbulence by breaking atmospheric waves
• spread of ash from volcanic explosions
• resuspension and transport of particulates by shoaling internal waves with impact upon off-shore oil and marine biology

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 475 - Dynamics of the Atmosphere and Ocean II

Synoptic-scale processes; the general circulation; turbulence; oceanic mixing; wind-driven circulation; waves in the atmosphere and ocean; baroclinic instability; tides. Prerequisites: EAS 212 and 371 or consent of instructor. [Faculty of Science]

Fall Term 2020

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EAS 587 - Advanced Atmosphere-Ocean Dynamics

Synoptic-scale processes; the general circulation; turbulence; oceanic mixing; wind-driven circulation; waves in the atmosphere and ocean; baroclinic instability; tides. Class concurrent with EAS 475. Not available to students with credit in EAS 475. [Faculty of Science]

Fall Term 2020

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PHYS 467 - Fundamentals of Continuum Mechanics

Cartesian tensors; stress; strain and deformation; Eulerian and Lagrangian descriptions of motions; conservation principles, Cauchy's equation of motion; constitutive relations, elasticity, plasticity, linear and nonlinear viscous fluid flow; elastic wave equation and Navier-Stokes equation; similarity, scaling and nondimensionalisation of governing equations. Applications from geophysics, materials science, oceanography, and atmospheric physics. Pre- or corequisites: MATH 337 or ECE 341, PHYS 381.

Fall Term 2020

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PHYS 495 - Special Topics in Physics

The course covers specialized topics of interest to advanced undergraduate students. Consult the Department for details about current offerings. Prerequisites depend on the subject. Credit for this course may be obtained more than once.

Fall Term 2020

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PHYS 595 - Special Topics in Physics

This course covers specialized topics of interest to junior graduate students. Consult the Department for details about current offerings. Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor. Credit for this course may be obtained more than once.

Fall Term 2020

Research - Internal Gravity Waves, Stratified Flows

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Research - Microplastic Transport, Dispersion, Sedimentation and Resuspension

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Research - Plumes, Gravity Currents and Sediment Transport

Damping of Surface Waves by Floating Particles

Author(s): B. R. Sutherland and N. J. Balmforth
Publication: Physical Review Fluids
Volume: 4
External Link: https://journals.aps.org/prfluids/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevFluids.4.014804

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Nonlinear Influence of the Earth's Rotation on Iceberg Melting

Author(s): A. Meroni, C. McConnochie, C. Cenedese, B.R. Sutherland, K. Snow
Publication: Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Volume: 858
Page Numbers: 832-851
External Link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-fluid-mechanics/article/nonlinear-influence-of-the-earths-rotation-on-iceberg-melting/89F4604D04B75F7C988EFC5E63865B84

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Particle-Bearing Currents in Uniform Density and Two-Layer Fluids

Author(s): B. R. Sutherland, M. K. Gingras, C. Knudson, L. Steverango and C. Surma
Publication: Physical Review Fluids
Volume: 3
Page Numbers: 023801:1-15
External Link: https://journals.aps.org/prfluids/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevFluids.3.023801

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Recent Progress in Modelling Imbalance in the Atmosphere and Ocean

Author(s): B. R. Sutherland, U. Achatz, C. P. Caulfield and J. M. Klymak
Publication: Physical Review Fluids
External Link: https://journals.aps.org/prfluids/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevFluids.4.010501

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Lagrangian Transport by Vertically Confined Internal Gravity Wavepackets

Author(s): T. S. van den Bremer, H. Yassin and B. R. Sutherland
Publication: Journal of Fluid Mechanics
External Link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-fluid-mechanics/article/lagrangian-transport-by-vertically-confined-internal-gravity-wavepackets/7E98700FC994E9206F90FDE5C8157464