Dr Sarah Bass
Profiles

Dr Sarah Bass

Lecturer in Marine Physical Science

School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering)

Dr Sarah Bass can be contacted through arrangement with our Press Office, to speak to the media on these areas of expertise.
  • Underwater acoustics
  • Sediment transport
  • Estuarine dynamics
Biography

Biography

MSc/MRes Applied Marine Science Programme Lead

Qualifications

2000-present: Lecturer in Marine Physical Science, Plymouth University Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Certificate of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
1996-2000: Ph.D., University of Cambridge, UK. Commonwealth Scholar
1994-1996: MSc., Physical Oceanography, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. NSERC Scholar
1989-1993: BSc (Hons.) Physics, Summa Cum Laude, University of Ottawa, Canada. NSERC Scholar
Research

Research

Research interests

Coastal and shelf sea oceanography
Cohesive and non-cohesive sediment dynamics
Acoustics
For further details, please refer to the Marine Physics Research Group website (http://www.marinephysics.org/).

Other research

ABSTRACTS IN CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS 
Nunny R, Graham E and Bass S. 2005. Do sea turtles use acoustic cues when nesting? 25th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, International Sea Turtle Society. Savannah, Georgia USA 16 - 22 January 2005 (submitted). 
Bass, S.J. 2004. Characterising the Surf Zone Wave-Breaking Environment Using Passive Acoustics. Proceedings, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, USA (accepted). 
Manning, A.J., and Bass, S.J., 2004. Experimental and predictive modelling observations of cohesive sediment settling fluxes in high energy tidal estuarine environments, Oral presentation at Tidalites International Conferences on Tidal Sedimentology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, August 2004. 
Bass, S.J., Manning, A.J. and Dyer, K.R. (2003). Tidal cycles in flocculating suspension charactersistics. Proceedings INTERCOH-2003, Virginia, USA. 
Manning, A.J., Bass, S.J. and Dyer, K.R. (2003). In-situ floc spectra observations in the Tamar Estuary, UK. Proceedings INTERCOH-2003, Virginia, USA. 
Bass, S.J., McCave, I.N., Rees, J.M. and Vincent, C.E., (2002). Mud and sand transport paths outside of the Wash embayment, eastern England. Proceedings, Coastal and Shelf Sediment Transport Meeting, British Geological Society, London, UK. 
Bass, S.J., Aldridge, J.N., McCave, I.N. and Vincent, C.E., (2001). Modelling temporal patterns of fine sediment suspensions. Proceedings, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, USA. 
Bass, S.J., Aldridge, J.N., McCave, I.N. and Vincent, C.E., (2001). Fine sediment suspension patterns: a simple modelling approach. Proceedings, European Geophysical Society Conference, Nice, France. 
Bass, S.J., McCave, I.N. and Vincent, C.E., (1998). Observations of mud and sand suspensions in the North Sea. Proceedings, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, USA. 
Bass, S.J., McCave, I.N., Rees, J.M. and Vincent, C.E., (1998). Observations of suspension events at tidal frequencies in the North Sea. Conference Proceedings, UK Oceanography, Southampton, October 1998. 
Bass, S.J. and Hay, A.E., (1995). Ambient Noise in the Surf Zone. Proceedings, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, USA. 

Grants & contracts

NERC (12/11-06/15) 'Realistic sedimentary bedform prediction: incorporating physical and biological cohesion (COHBED)'
NERC (04/08-04/11) £572,300 total £183686 to UoP
‘Acoustic and Optical Backscatter from flocculating sediments (FLOCSAM)’ 
NERC New Investigators Grant (02/03-02/04) £50,000 
'Cycles in estuarine hydrodynamic conditions in relation to cycles in near-bed flocculating suspensions'. 
Nuffield Foundation Award for New Lecturers (03/02-03/04) £6,000 
'The acoustic noise generated by breaking waves in surf conditions'. 
Publications

Publications

Key publications

Key publications are highlighted

Journals
Articles
Guo C, Guo L, Bass S, Manning AJ, Jin Z & Zhou Y (2023) 'On the role of organic matter composition in fresh-water kaolinite flocculation' Journal of Environmental Management 345, , DOI Open access
Guo C, Manning AJ, Bass S, Guo L & He Q (2021) 'A quantitative lab examination of floc fractal property considering influences of turbulence, salinity and sediment concentration' Journal of Hydrology 601, 126574-126574 , DOI Open access
Hope JA, Malarkey J, Baas JH, Peakall J, Parsons DR, Manning AJ, Bass SJ, Lichtman ID, Thorne PD & Ye L (2020) 'Interactions between sediment microbial ecology and physical dynamics drive heterogeneity in contextually similar depositional systems' Limnology and Oceanography , DOI Open access
Baas JH, Baker ML, Malarkey J, Bass SJ, Manning AJ, Hope JA, Peakall J, Lichtman ID, Ye L & Davies AG (2019) 'Integrating field and laboratory approaches for ripple development in mixed sand–clay–EPS' Sedimentology , DOI Open access
Lichtman ID, Baas JH, Amoudry LO, Thorne PD, Malarkey J, Hope JA, Peakall J, Paterson DM, Bass SJ & Cooke RD (2018) 'Bedform migration in a mixed sand and cohesive clay intertidal environment and implications for bed material transport predictions' Geomorphology 315, 17-32 , DOI Open access
Guo C, He Q, van Prooijen BC, Guo L, Manning AJ & Bass S (2017) 'Investigation of flocculation dynamics under changing hydrodynamic forcing on an intertidal mudflat' Marine Geology 395, 120-132 , DOI Open access
Parsons DR, Schindler RJ, Hope JA, Malarkey J, Baas JH, Peakall J, Manning AJ, Ye L, Simmons S & Paterson DM (2016) 'The role of biophysical cohesion on subaqueous bed form size' Geophysical Research Letters 43, (4) 1566-1573 , DOI Open access
Schindler RJ, Parsons DR, Ye L, Hope JA, Baas J, Peakall J, Manning AJ, Aspden R, Malarkey J & Simmons S (2015) 'Sticky stuff: Redefining bedform prediction in modern and ancient environments' Geology 399-402 , DOI Open access
Malarkey J, Baas JH, Hope JA, Aspden RJ, Parsons DR, Peakall J, Paterson DM, Schindler RJ, Ye L & Lichtman ID (2015) 'The pervasive role of biological cohesion in bedform development' Nat Commun 6, Author Site , DOI Open access
Schindler R, Bass S & Manning A (2013) 'Effects of non-cohesive particles on suspended particle characteristics in a partially flocculated estuary during spring tides' Journal of Coastal Research 165, 1206-1211 , DOI
Bass SJ (2013) 'Ambient noise and wave breaking on a sandy beach: energy dissipation estimates' JOURNAL OF COASTAL RESEARCH 1721-1726 , DOI
Bass SJ, McCave IN, Rees JM & Vincent CE (2007) 'Sand and mud flux estimates using acoustic and optical backscatter sensors: measurements seaward of the Wash, southern North Sea' 25-35 , DOI
Graham GW, Bass SJ, Smith WAMN & Manning AJ (2007) 'Exploring Marsh Surface Canopy Dynamics - A Discussion of Laboratory Methods' JOURNAL OF COASTAL RESEARCH 778-783
Graham GW, Bass SJ, Nimmo Smith WAM & Manning AJ (2007) 'Flow modification by Spartina anglica' Journal of Coastal Research S150, 778-783
Manning AJ, Bass SJ & Dyer KR (2007) 'Preliminary findings of a study of the upper reaches of the Tamar Estuary, UK, throughout a complete tidal cycle: Part II: In-situ floc spectra observations' 15-33 , DOI
Manning AJ, Bass SJ & Dyer KR (2006) 'Floc properties in the turbidity maximum of a mesotidal estuary during neap and spring tidal conditions' Marine Geology 235, (1-4) 193-211
Manning AJ & Bass SJ (2006) 'Variability in cohesive sediment settling fluxes: Observations under different estuarine tidal conditions' Marine Geology 235, (1-4) 177-192
Bass SJ, Manning AJ & Dyer KR (2006) 'Preliminary findings from a study of the upper reaches of the Tamar Estuary, UK, throughout a complete tidal cycle: Part I. Linking sediment and hydrodynamic cycles' 1-14 Open access
Bass SJ, Aldridge JN, Mccave IN & Vincent CE (2002) 'Phase relationships between fine sediment suspensions and tidal currents in coastal seas' Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans 107, (C10)
Bass SJ, Aldridge JN, McCave IN & Vincent CE (2001) 'Modelling temporal patterns of fine sediment suspensions' EOS Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting Supplement 82 (47), OS12A-0398 (abs)
Bass SJ & Hay AE (1997) 'Ambient noise in the natural surf zone: wave-breaking frequencies' IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering 22, (3) 411-424 , DOI
Woolley JC, Bass S, Lamarche A-M, Lamarche G, Quintero M, Morocoima M & Bocaranda P (1995) 'Magnetic behaviour of some Mn.III2.VI4 compounds and their alloys' Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 150, (3) 353-362 , DOI
Woolley JC, Bass S, Lamarche A-M & Lamarche G (1994) 'Magnetic susceptibility and exchange interaction parameters for some Mn.III2.VI4 compounds' Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 131, (1-2) 199-209 , DOI
Conference Papers
Bass SJ, McCave IN, Rees JM & Vincent CE (2003) 'Estimating Fine Sediment fluxes in coastal seas: validity of point measurements' in CD-ROM Proceedings of the International Conference on Coastal Sediments 2003. World Scientific Publishing Corp. and East Meets West Productions, Corpus Christi, Texas
Bass SJ & Hay AE (1998) 'Ambient noise in the natural surf zone: Wave breaking frequencies' 1373-1377
Presentations and posters
Bass S, King EV, Manning AJ & Thorne PD Bass S, King EV, Manning AJ & Thorne PD 'Acoustic scattering from flocculating suspensions' , DOI