John M. Brubaker

Education

• A.B., Miami University
• Ph.D., Oregon State University

Research Interests

Within a broad interest in the dynamics of circulation and transport processes in estuaries and on the continental shelf, a particular focus for me is the role of smaller scale processes and variability, characterized by time scales of tidal period or less, and length scales often associated with stratification and bottom topography. The underlying goal, a better understanding of vertical and horizontal fluxes in estuaries and on the shelf, has led to consideration of phenomena such as estuarine and coastal fronts, internal waves, and the development and breakdown of density stratification. Often, these processes are patchy and ephemeral, requiring adaptive sampling strategies in the field.

Current Projects

• Detection and Prediction of Water-borne Hazards and Threats in Ports and the Littoral Zone: A Lower Chesapeake Bay Test Bed (ONR).
• Chesapeake Bay Observing System Cooperative Expansion and Integration Demonstration (NOAA).
• Stratification, stability and dynamics on the inner shelf off Duck, North Carolina.
• Three-dimensional structure and kinematics of a tidal eddy: ADCP observations.

Selected Publications

• Brasseur, L.H., A.C. Trembanis, J.M. Brubaker, C.T. Friedrichs, T. Nelson, L.D. Wright, W. Reay, L.W. Haas, 2005. Physical Response of the York River Estuary to Hurricane Isabel. In K.G. Sellner, ed., Hurricane Isabel in Perspective. CRC pub. 05-160, Edgewater, Maryland.
• Scully, M., C. Friedrichs and J. Brubaker, 2005. Control of Estuarine Stratification and Mixing by Wind-Induced Straining of the Estuarine Density Field. Estuaries, 28(3), 321-326.
• Simpson, J.H., E. Williams, L.H. Brasseur and J.M. Brubaker, 2005. The impact of tidal straining on the cycle of turbulence in a partially stratified estuary. Continental Shelf Research, 25, 51-64.
• Bowers, D.G. and J.M. Brubaker, 2004. Underwater sunlight maxima in the Menai Strait. J. Optics A: Pure and Applied Optics, 6, 684-689.
• Shanks, A.L., J. Largier and J. Brubaker, 2003. Observations on the distribution of meroplankton during an upwelling event. J. Plankton Research, 25, 645-667.
• Boon, J.D., J.M. Brubaker and G.M. Sisson, 2002. Model-assisted comparison of circulation features in a branching river estuary. In Estuarine and Coastal Modeling, peer-reviewed Proceedings of 7th International Conference, edited by M.L. Spaulding, ASCE, 384-402.
• Shanks, A.L, J. Largier, L. Brink, J. Brubaker, and R. Hooff, 2002. Observations on the distribution of meroplankton during a downwelling event and associated intrusion of the Chesapeake Bay estuarine plume. J. Plankton Research., 24, 391-416.
• Shanks, A., J. Largier, L. Brink, J. Brubaker, and R. Hooff, 2000. Demonstration of the onshore transport of larval invertebrates by the shoreward movement of an upwelling front. Limnol. Oceanogr., 45(1), 230-236.
• Brubaker, J. M. and J. H. Simpson. 1999. Flow convergence and stability at a tidal estuarine front: acoustic Doppler current observations. Journal of Geophysical Research, 104 (C8), 18,257-18,268.
• Sharples, J., J.H. Simpson, and J.M. Brubaker. 1994. Observations and modeling of periodic stratification in the upper York River estuary. Est. Coastal and Shelf Sci. 38:301-312.
• Brubaker, J.M. 1987. Similarity structure in the convective boundary layer of a lake. Nature, 330:742-745.

Current Students

• Lorraine Brasseur, Ph.D. program
• Justin Vandever, M.S. program

Past Students

• Sarah Rennie, Ph.D., 1998 (Co-advisor with Don Wright)
• Pablo Glorioso, Ph.D., 1997
• Bohyun Bang, Ph.D., 1994
• William Stockhausen, M.S., 1994
• Linda Huzzey, Ph.D., 1986

Courses Taught/Teaching

• Fundamentals of Marine Science
• Fundamentals of Marine Science Lab
• Principles of Coastal and Estuarine Physical Oceanography
• Technical and Continuing Education in Marine Science
• Ocean Dynamics
• Ocean Dynamics II
• Introduction to Fluid Mechanics
• Introduction to Physical Oceanography