John A. Gillies

Research Professor
Division of Atmospheric Sciences

EDUCATION:

Dr. John A. Gillies has over 14 years experience in the research field of aeolian processes. Currently his research focuses on the physics of fugitive dust emission by wind and anthropogenic processes, the transport and deposition processes, as well as the mitigative actions that can be taken to ameliorate this environmental problem. A second major research initiative he is currently working on is understanding and modeling boundary-layer flow over sparsely vegetated rangelands and Antarctic polar desert surfaces to characterize the effects of the roughness elements on sand transport and dust emissions. He is using shear stress partitioning theory and full scale field-testing to reconcile model predictions with measurements. Dr. Gillies is also investigating the effectiveness of managed vegetation covers and surface treatments to reduce dust emissions from susceptible surfaces.

Dr. Gillies has collaborated in the design, construction, and utilization of portable field wind tunnels and the attendant specialized instrumentation for measuring surface shear stress and the in situ emission rates of particulates from various types of surface that are susceptible to wind erosion and fugitive emissions. He has also been involved in developing tower-mounted, self-orienting, suspended sediment samplers for measuring particulate concentration profiles in the atmosphere for estimating vertical fluxes. This instrumentation was developed primarily for use in remote, logistically difficult situations. He has also been involved in research that has examined the role of the surficial characteristics that control the release of dust to the atmosphere in the southwest United States, West Africa, and Canada.

RESEARCH AREAS:

• Aeolian processes, fugitive dust emissions, atmospheric particulate matter

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

Sweeney, M., V. Etyemezian, T. Macpherson, W. Nickling, J. Gillies, G. Nikolich, and E. McDonald (2008).

Comparison of PI-SWERL with dust emission measurements from a straight-line field wind tunnel. J. Geophys. Res., Earth Surface, 113, F01012, doi:10.1029/2007JF000830.

King, J., W.G. Nickling, and J.A. Gillies (2008).

Investigations the law-of-the-wall over sparse roughness elements. J. Geophys. Res., Earth-Surface, 113, F02S07, doi:10.1029/2007JF000804.

Brown, S. W.G. Nickling, and J.A. Gillies (2008).

A wind tunnel examination of shear stress partitioning for an assortment of surface roughness distributions. J. Geophys. Res., Earth Surface, 113, doi:10.1029/2007JF000790.

Macpherson, T., W.G. Nickling, J.A. Gillies, and V. Etyemezian (2008).

Dust emissions from undisturbed and disturbed supply limited desert surfaces. J. Geophys. Res., Earth Surface (in press).

Gillies, J.A., W.G. Nickling, and J. King (2007).

Shear stress partitioning in large patches of roughness in the atmospheric inertial sublayer. Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 122(2), doi: 10.1007/s10546-006-9101-5, 367-396.

Etyemezian, V., G. Nikolich, S. Ahonen, M. Pitchford, M. Sweeney, J. Gillies, and H. Kuhns (2007).

The Portable In-Situ Wind Erosion Laboratory (PI-SWERL): a new method to measure PM₁₀ windblown dust properties and potential for emissions. Atmos. Environ., 41, 3789-3796.

Gillies, J.A., V. Etyemezian, H. Kuhns, J. Engelbrecht, S. Uppapalli, and G. Nikolich (2007).

Dust emissions caused by backblast from Department of Defense artillery testing. J. Air & Waste Manage. Assoc., 57, doi:10.3155/1047-3289.57.5.551, 551–560.

Gillies, J.A., W.G. Nickling, and J. King (2007):

Modeling aeolian sediment transport thresholds on Mars: a shear stress partitioning approach. Geophys. Res. Ltrs. (in preparation).

Gillies, J.A. , V. Etyemezian, H. Kuhns, J. Engelbrecht, S. Uppapalli, and G. Nickolich (2007).

Dust emissions caused by backblast from Department of Defense artillery testing. J. Air & Waste Manage. Assoc. (accepted).

Etyemezian, V., G. Nikolich, S. Ahonen, M. Pitchford, M. Sweeney, J. Gillies , and H. Kuhns (2007).

The Portable In-Situ Wind Erosion Laboratory (PI-SWERL): a new method to measure PM₁₀ windblown dust properties and potential for emissions. Atmos. Environ. (accepted).

Abu-Allaban, M., J. Gillies , A. Gertler, R. Clayton, and D. Proffitt (2006).

Motor vehicle contributions to ambient PM 10 and PM 2.5 at selected urban areas in the U.S. Environ. Monitoring and Assessment, DOI 10.1007/s10661-006-9511-3.

Lancaster, N., J.A. Gillies , and W.G. Nickling (2006).

Recent progress in aeolian research. EOS 87 (45), 7 November 2006.

Gertler, A., H. Kuhns, M. Abu-Allaban, C. Damm, J. Gillies, V. Etyemezian, R. Clayton, D. Proffitt (2006).

A case study of the impact of winter road sand/salt and street sweeping on road dust re-entrainment. Atmos. Environ., 40 (31): 5976-5985.

King, J., W.G. Nickling, and J.A. Gillies (2006).

Aeolian shear stress ratio measurements within mesquite-dominated landscapes of the Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico, USA. Geomorphology, 82 (3-4): 229-244, doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.05.004.

Gillies, J.A., W.G. Nickling, and J. King (2006).

Shear stress partitioning in large patches of roughness in the atmospheric inertial sublayer. Boundary-Layer Meteorology doi: 10.1007/s10546-006-9101-5.

Gillies, J.A., W.G. Nickling, and J. King (2006).

Aeolian sediment transport through large patches of roughness in the atmospheric inertial sublayer. J. Geophys. Res., Earth Surface, 111, F02006, doi:10.1029/2005JF000434.

Kuhns, H., V. Etyemezian, J.A. Gillies, S. Ahonen, C. Durham, and D. Nikolic (2005).

Spatial variability of unpaved road dust emissions factors near El Paso, Texas. J. Air and Waste Manage. Assoc., 55, 3-12.

Gillies, J.A., V. Etyemezian, H. Kuhns, D. Nickolic, and D.A. Gillette (2005).

Effect of vehicle characteristics on unpaved road dust emissions. Atmos. Environ., 39, 2341–2347.

Moosmüller, H., R. Varma, W.P. Arnott, H.D. Kuhns, V. Etyemezian, and J.A. Gillies (2005).

Scattering cross section emission factors for visibility and radiative transfer applications: military vehicles traveling on unpaved roads. J. Air and Waste Manage. Assoc., 55, 1743-1750.

King, J., W.G. Nickling, and J.A. Gillies (2005).

Representation of vegetation and other non-erodible elements in aeolian shear stress partitioning models for predicting transport threshold. J. Geophys. Res., Earth Surface, 110 (F4): F04015 doi:10.1029/2004JF000281