Biography
Jim Best’s current research concerns the mechanics of sediment transport, the investigation of modern sedimentary environments, and the interpretation of ancient alluvium. Current areas of ongoing research include: interactions between turbulent flows and sediment movement, turbulence modulation in sedimentological flows, bedform dynamics, braided river dynamics and deposits, the morphodynamics of river channel confluences, the sedimentology of large rivers, the application of multibeam imaging within sedimentary environments, basin evolution, paleoenvironments, and sedimentology of the Western Irish Namurian Basin.
Education
- Ph.D., Birkbeck College, University of London
- B.S., University of Leeds
Courses Taught
- GEOG/ESE 222 - Big Rivers of the World
- GEOG/GEOL 575 - Alluvial Boundary Layer Dynamics
- GEOL 440: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
- GEOL 415/515: The Geology of County Clare, Western Ireland: sedimentology, paleoecology and evolution of a sedimentary basin
- GEOL 593: Advanced Clastic Sedimentology
Additional Campus Affiliations
Recent Publications
Chyon, M. S. A., Best, J., & Haq, S. M. A. (2026). From extraction to recovery: Geomorphic and social transformations of gravel mining, Lubha River, Northeast Bangladesh. Cell Reports Sustainability, 3(1), Article 100605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100605
Chenyu, F., Ke, L., Wang, J., Best, J., Zhang, Y., Sheng, Y., Liu, K., Chen, T., Zeng, F., Zhan, P., Zhu, J., Cheng, J., & Song, C. (2025). Exacerbating dam-induced fragmentation in China’s river systems. Communications Earth and Environment, 6(1), Article 428. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02416-9
Fan, N., Ma, G., An, Y., Best, J., Wang, J., Zhao, Y., Wang, C., Wang, Y., Nie, R., & Liu, X. (2025). The impact of natural and anthropogenic factors on erosion in the Northeastern loess Plateau, China, during the past 10,000 years. Catena, 258, Article 109292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2025.109292
Islam, M. N., Haq, S. M. A., Ahmed, K. J., & Best, J. (2025). How Do Vulnerable People Adapt to the Impact of Sedimentation in the Haor Wetlands of Northeastern Bangladesh? Weather, Climate, and Society, 17(1), 115-129. https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-23-0078.1
Kim, T., Best, J., Christensen, K. T., & Blois, G. (2025). Statistical attributes of turbulent flow across porous walls with a geometrically smooth interface: The role of internal wall structure. Physics of fluids, 37(3), Article 035121. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0242697