Dr Jaco Baas

Reader in Ocean Sciences

Contact info

Position: Reader

Room: 305 Craig Mair

Phone: 01248 382894

E-mail: j.baas@bangor.ac.uk

Web: Google Scholar, ResearchGate

I am Reader in Fine Particle Dynamics in the School of Ocean Sciences, and specialise in the erosion, transport, and deposition of fine, cohesive sediment. I graduated from the University of Utrecht (the Netherlands) with a combined BSc/MSc in Sedimentary Geology in 1988. At the same university, I completed my PhD in Bedform Dynamics in 1993. Subsequently, I was Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Geomar Research Centre in Kiel, Germany (studying Late-Pleistocene climate signals in slope sediments from the North-Atlantic continental margin), at the University of Rouen, France (on resuspension processes in the Seine estuary and gravel mining in the English Channel), and at the University of Bergen, Norway (investigating grain orientations in turbidite deposits).

In 1998, I moved to the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds, where I started as a Marie Curie Research Fellow and then became a Senior Research Fellow. My research in Leeds included the physical properties of particulate density currents and their deposits and the dynamics of turbulence-modulated flows carrying cohesive clay particles. I took up my present post in Bangor in January 2007.

I am a process sedimentologist with more than 25 years of experience in sediment transport in fluvial, shallow marine, and deep-marine environments. My main fundamental and applied research interests include physical and biological cohesion in fine-grained sediment, the dynamics of sedimentary bedforms, and sediment gravity flows in the deep ocean, but my expertise also stretches to hydraulic engineering, palaeoclimatology, and mathematical modelling. I combine experimental research with field work to answer timely research questions, taking a blue-skies approach as well as collaborating with industry.

Research Area

Sediment Dynamics and Morphology

  1. Published

    Sole marks reveal deep-marine depositional process and environment: implications for flow transformation and hybrid event bed models

    Baas, J., Tracey, N. D. & Peakall, J., 4 Oct 2021, In: Journal of Sedimentary Research. 91, 9, p. 986–1009

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

  2. Published

    Current- and Wave-Generated Bedforms on Mixed Sand–Clay Intertidal Flats: A New Bedform Phase Diagram and Implications for Bed Roughness and Preservation Potential

    Baas, J., Malarkey, J., Lichtman, I. D., Amoudry, L. O., Thorne, P., Hope, J. A., Peakall, J., Paterson, D. M., Bass, S., Cooke, R. D., Manning, A. J., Parsons, D. & Ye, L., 3 Nov 2021, In: Frontiers Earth Science. 9, 747567.

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

  3. Published

    The Deep-Water Architecture Knowledge Base: Towards objective comparison of deep-marine sedimentary systems.

    Baas, J. H., McCaffrey, W. D. & Knipe, R. J., 1 Nov 2005, In: Petroleum Geoscience. 11, 4, p. 309-320

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

  4. Published
  5. Published

    Depositional processes, bedform development and hybrid bed formation in rapidly decelerated cohesive (mud–sand) sediment flows

    Baas, J. H., Best, J. L. & Peakall, J., 1 Dec 2011, In: Sedimentology. 58, 7, p. 1953-1987

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

  6. Published

    The Deep-Water Architecture Knowledge Base: Towards objective comparison of deep-marine sedimentary systems.

    Baas, J. H. & McCaffrey, W. D., 1 Jan 2006.

    Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

  7. Published

    Coupling between suspended sediment distribution and turbulence structure in a laboratory turbidity current.

    Baas, J. H., McCaffrey, W. D., Haughton, P. D. & Choux, C., 1 Jan 2005, In: Journal of Geophysical Research - Oceans. 110, c11, p. C11015

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

  8. Published
  9. Published

    Turbulence modulation in high-concentration clay-rich flows and the possible origin of “massive” sand beds.

    Baas, J. H. & Best, J. L., 1 Jan 2000, p. 6-7.

    Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

  10. Published

    Processes and products of turbidity currents entering soft muddy substrates

    Baas, J. H., Manica, R., Puhl, E., Verhagen, I. & de O.Borges, A. L., May 2014, In: Geology. 42, 5, p. 371-374

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

  11. Published

    Wave ripples in mixtures of cohesive clay and cohesionless sand: Preliminary results

    Baas, J. H., Westlake, A., Eggenhuisen, J., Amoudry, L., Cartigny, M., Coultish, N., McLelland, S., Mouazé, D., Murphy, B., Parsons, D., Rosewell, K., Ruessink, G., Schrijvershof, R., Wu, X. & Ye, L., 1 Jul 2014.

    Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

  12. Published

    Earth Science Editorial.

    Baas, J. H., 1 Feb 2004, In: Annals of the Marie Curie Fellowships. 3, p. 42

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

  13. Published

    Experimental model for turbulence modulation in natural clay-laden flows.

    Baas, J. H., Best, J. L., Peakall, J. & Wang, M., 1 Jan 2006.

    Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

  14. Published

    Ripple formation induced by biogenic mounds – Comment

    Baas, J. H. & Best, J. L., 15 Aug 2000, In: Marine Geology. 168, 1-4, p. 145-151

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

  15. Published
  16. Published
  17. Published

    A phase diagram for turbulent, transitional and laminar clay suspension flows.

    Baas, J. H., Best, J. L., Peakall, J. & Wang, M., 1 Mar 2009, In: Journal of Sedimentary Research. 79, 3-4, p. 162-183

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

  18. Published
  19. Published
  20. Published

    Fine Sediment Dynamics in the Marine Environment, by J.C. Winterwerp & C. Kranenberg

    Baas, J. H. & Felix, M., 1 Jan 2003, Unknown.

    Research output: Other contribution

  21. Published

    Bedform development below transient turbulent, partly cohesive open-channel flows.

    Baas, J. H., Best, J. L. & Kellman, P., 1 Jan 2007.

    Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

  22. Published

    When is a clay-laden current turbulent, transitional or laminar? A new stability diagram based on flow dynamics and clay concentration.

    Baas, J. H., Best, J. L., Peakall, J. & Wang, M., 1 Jan 2005.

    Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

  23. Published

    Turbulence modulation behind ripples and dunes in clay-laden currents.

    Baas, J. H. & Best, J. L., 1 Jan 2004.

    Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

  24. Published

    Can vertical stacking of low-angle bedforms produce rhythmic bedding in slurry flow deposits.

    Baas, J. H., Best, J. L. & Peakall, J., 1 Jan 2006.

    Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

  25. Published

    An experimental model for turbulence modulation in natural clay-laden flows over flat beds, ripples and dunes.

    Baas, J. H., Best, J. L. & Kellman, P., 1 Jan 2006.

    Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper