JOSEPH F. ATKINSON

Joseph Atkinson is currently Associate Professor of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Director of Graduate Admissions and Head of the Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He obtained his B.S. in an independent program of studies at Harvey Mudd College in 1973, his M.Eng. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University in 1979 and his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1985. He was also a graduate fellow at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology in 1979 - 1980 and a visiting professor there in 1991 - 1992. Dr. Atkinson teaches undergraduate courses in fluid mechanics, hydraulic engineering and numerical programming for engineers, and graduate courses in environmental fluid mechanics, water quality modeling and numerical methods. His research interests include modeling the fate and transport of pollutants in surface waters, sediment transport, turbulence and mixing processes in stratified fluids, physics of salt gradient solar ponds and integration of mathematical simulation models with geographic information systems (GIS). His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, New York Sea Grant, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and several private firms.

Much of Dr. Atkinson's research is in the area of environmental fluid mechanics. This has involved the use of laser and particle image anemometry to measure turbulence quantities and application of turbulence modeling to analyze the resulting mixing. A current study is concerned with the effect of the earth's rotation on the spreading and mixing characteristics of a buoyant jet in a coastal or large lake environment. Sediment transport is also a main area of interest, where the interaction between turbulence and contaminant desorption from suspended particles is of particular concern. Contaminant transport modeling is an ongoing research interest, with specific applications to the Niagara and Buffalo Rivers. Each of these systems presents unique challenges for modeling. In the Niagara River, for instance, there is a strong dispersion-like effect due to operations of the power authorities. Dr. Atkinson is currently working with other members of the department on a project to link a general water quality model (WASP4) with a GIS, providing a modeling support system for use in Great Lakes modeling.

Selected Recent Publications

Cheng, Chen-Yu, J.F. Atkinson and Marcus I. Bursik (1997), “Direct Measurement of Turbulence in a Mixing Jar Using PIV”, Journal of Environmental Engineering 123 (2), 115-125.

Atkinson, Joseph F., Sunil K. Gupta, Joseph V. DePinto and Ralph R. Rumer (1998), “Linking Hydrodynamic and Water Quality Models with Different Scales”, Journal of Environmental Engineering 124: 399-408.

Abrahams, A.D. and J.F. Atkinson, "Relation between Grain Velocity and Sediment Concentration in Overland Flow", Water Resources Research 29(9), 3021- 3028 (1993).

DePinto, Joseph V., Hugh W. Calkins, Paul J. Densham, Joseph F. Atkinson, Weihe Guan, Hui Lin and Paul Rodgers, "An Approach for Integrating GIS Watershed Analysis Models", Microcomputers in Civil Engineering 9, 251-262 (1994).

Atkinson, J.F. (1994), "Buoyancy Flux at a Grid-Stirred Diffusive Interface", International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 37(14), 2089-2099.

Atkinson, J.F., G. Lin and M. Joshi (1994), "Physical Model of Niagara River Plume", Journal of Great Lakes Research 20(3), 583-589.

Atkinson, J.F., S. Blair, S. Taylor and U. Ghosh (1995), "Surface Aeration", Journal of Environmental Engineering 121(1), 113-118.

Hoyal, D., J.F. Atkinson, S.W. Taylor and J.V. DePinto (1995), "The Effect of Turbulence on Sedimentation: Transition from Gravitational Settling to Turbulent Diffusion", Journal of Hydraulic Research 33(3), 349-360.

Cheng, Chen-Yu, Joseph F. Atkinson and Joseph V. DePinto (1995), "Desorption During Resuspension Events: Kinetic vs. Equilibrium Model", Marine and Freshwater Research 46(1), 251-256.

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