UBC Civil Engineering

Environmental Fluid Mechanics

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research overview

Although Canada has more water than most nations, fluctuations in the quantity and quality of our available water, due to climate change and other human influences, greatly affect Canadian life. Most water quality issues require an understanding of physical processes such as circulation and irreversible mixing. Examples include trapping of nutrients behind upstream reservoirs, nutrient supply to the photic zone supporting phytoplankton and fisheries food supply, effluent dispersal in lakes and coastal waters, and the path of contaminants (such as E. coli and Cryptosporidium) to drinking water supply intakes and beaches. The EFM groups focuses on the description and understanding of the physical dynamics of water bodies with the aim of developing numerical models for the prediction of the impacts of climate change and human activities on lake circulation.

The Environmental Fluid Mechanics group is led by Dr. Greg Lawrence and Dr. Bernard Laval whose combined expertise spans the whole range of analytical, numerical, laboratory, field methods.

Research Activities

The Environemental Fluid Mechanics Research Group at UBC seeks to examine the fundamental role of fluid motions in determining environemtnal quality. Our research team approaches physical problems of contaminant tranpsort, stratified flows, mixing, turbulence and ice-water interactions. We use a variety of techniques including analytical methods, field experimentation, laboratory simulation and 3D numerical modelling.

For more information visit the following research site: Environmental Fluid Mechanics Research

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Facilities

Specialized facilities for studies in Environmental Fluid Mechanics include recirculating sediment flumes, fresh water flumes, stratified flow facilities, laser doppler anemometer, acoustic doppler velocimeter, 5 watt laser for flow visualization, wave flume and wave basin, current meters, conductivity probes and thermistor arrays.

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Faculty in Environmental Fluid Mechanics

Bernard Laval Environmental fluid mechanics, physical limnology, coastal oceanography, transport processes, hydrodynamic stability and mixing.
Greg Lawrence Environmental fluid mechanics, hydraulics, hydrodynamic stability and mixing, physical limnology, coastal engineering and water quality management.

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