Staff profile

Professor of Physical Geography 2004 - 2009, now retired with Emeritus Professor status.

Previously a student at Cambridge (BA 1968, PhD 1972) then a Lecturer / Professor in Hull (1971 - 1977), Stirling (1977 - 1989), and Sheffield (1989 - 2004).

Research Interests

I'm a mathematically-minded physical geographer known mainly for work on river channel form and process, though I've also published on meltwater hydrology and the estimation of river loads. Much of my research has combined theoretically-informed analysis of field measurements with modelling of one kind or another (conceptual, mathematical, or numerical) at a range of scales. I'm still research active to some extent, most recently as regards flow resistance and bedrock river processes, but as an Emeritus Professor I am not able to offer PhD or postdoc positions.

For an up-to-date list of journal papers click on the Researcher ID button above. For a full publication list, including some highly-cited book chapters, type 'Rob Ferguson' into Google Scholar. Most of my publications are freely available through the relevant journal website, but if not you can email me to ask for a pdf for personal use.

Chapter in book

• Ferguson, R (2013). Reach-scale flow resistance. In Treatise on Geomorphology. Shroder J F & Wohl, E Academic Press. 9: Fluvial Geomorphology: 50-68.
• Ferguson, R. (2008). Gravel-bed rivers at the reach scale. In Gravel-Bed Rivers VI: From Process Understanding to River Restoration. Habersack, H., Piegay, H. & Rinaldi, M. Amsterdam.: Elsevier. 33-53.
• Ferguson, R. & Hoey, T. (2008). Effects of tributaries on main-channel geomorphology. In River Confluences, Tributaries and the Fluvial Network. Rice, S.P., Roy, A.G. & Rhoads, B.L. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 183-208.
• Lane, S.N. & Ferguson, R.I. (2005). Modelling reach-scale fluvial flows. In Computational Fluid Dynamics Applications in Environmental Hydraulics. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 217-269.
• Lane, S.N., Hardy, R.J., Ferguson, R.I. & Parsons, D.R. (2005). A framework for model verification and validation of CFD schemes in natural open channel flows. In Computational Fluid Dynamics Applications in Environmental Hydraulics. Bates, M. & Lane, S.N. John Wiley & Sons. 329-355.
• Parsons, D.R., Ferguson, R.I., Lane, S.N. & Hardy, R.J. (2004). Flow structures in meander bends with recirculation zones: implications for bend movements. In River Flow 2004. Greco, M., Carravetta, A. & Della Morte, R. 49-59.
• Ferguson, R.I. & Parsons, D.R. (2004). Flow structures in natural meander bends with recirculation. In Shallow flows. Jirka, G.H. & Uijttewaal, W.S.L. Balkema. 325-331.
• Lane, S.N., Hardy, R.J., Keylock, C.J., Ferguson, R.I. & Parsons, D.R. (2003). Coherent flow structures in shallow gravel-bed rivers: an experiemental and numerical study. In Shallow flows. Uijttewaal, W.S.L. 259-266.
• Hoey, T.B., Bishop, P. & Ferguson, R.I. (2003). Testing numerical models in geomorphology: how can we ensure critical use of model predictions? In Prediction in Geomorphology, Geophysical Monograph 135. Wilcock, P. & Iverson, R. American Geophysical Union. 241-255.

Edited book

• Bates, P.D., Lane, S.N. & Ferguson, R.I. (2005). Computational Fluid Dynamics: Applications in Environmental Hydraulics. John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Journal Article

• Ferguson, Robert I., Lewin, John & Hardy, Richard J. (2022). Fluvial processes and landforms. Geological Society, London, Memoirs 58(1): 257-270.
• Ferguson, Robert I. (2021). Roughness Calibration to Improve Flow Predictions in Coarse‐Bed Streams. Water Resources Research 57(6): e2021WR029979.
• Ferguson, Rob (2020). Limits to scale invariance in alluvial rivers. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 46(1): 173-187.
• Ferguson, R., Hardy, R. & Hodge, R. (2019). Flow resistance and hydraulic geometry in bedrock rivers with multiple roughness length scales. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 44(12): 2437-2449.
• Ferguson, R.I., Sharma, B.P., Hodge, R.A., Hardy, R.J. & Warburton, J. (2017). Bed load tracer mobility in a mixed bedrock/alluvial channel. Journal of Geophysical Research – Earth Surface 122(4): 807-822.
• Ferguson, R.I., Sharma, B.P., Hardy, R.J,, Hodge, R.A. & Warburton, J. (2017). Flow resistance and hydraulic geometry in contrasting reaches of a bedrock channel. Water Resources Research 53(3): 2278-2293.
• Clark, K.E., Hilton, R.G., West, A.J., Robles Caceres, A., Grocke, D.R., Marthews, T.R., Ferguson, R.I., Asner, G.P., New, M. & Malhi, Y. (2017). Erosion of organic carbon from the Andes and its affects on ecosystem carbon dioxide balance. Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences 122(3): 449-469.
• Blom, Astrid, Chavarrías, Víctor, Ferguson, Robert I. & Viparelli, Enrica (2017). Advance, Retreat, and Halt of Abrupt Gravel-Sand Transitions in Alluvial Rivers. Geophysical Research Letters 44(19): 9751.
• Pelosi, A., Schumer, R., Parker, G. & Ferguson, R.I. (2016). The cause of advective slowdown of tracer pebbles in rivers: Implementation of Exner-Based Master Equation for coevolving streamwise and vertical dispersion. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 121(3): 623.
• Ferguson, R.I., Church, M., Rennie, C.D. & Venditti, J.G. (2015). Reconstructing a sediment pulse: Modeling the effect of placer mining on Fraser River, Canada. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 120(7): 1436.
• Church, M. & Ferguson, R.I. (2015). Morphodynamics: Rivers beyond steady state. Water Resources Research 51(4): 1883.
• Kleinhans, M.G., Ferguson, R.I., Lane, S.N. & Hardy, R.J. (2013). Splitting rivers at their seams: bifurcations and avulsion. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 38: 47-61.
• Ferguson, R.I. (2012). River channel slope, flow resistance, and gravel entrainment thresholds. Water Resources Research 48(5): W05517.
• Verhaar, P.M., Biron, P.M., Ferguson, R.I. & Hoey, T.B. (2011). Implications of climate change in the twenty-first century for simulated magnitude and frequency of bed-material transport in tributaries of the Saint-Lawrence River. Hydrological Processes 25(10): 1558-1573.
• Ferguson, R.I., Bloomer, D.J. & Church, M. (2011). Evolution of an advancing gravel front: observations from Vedder Canal, British Columbia. Earth Surface Processes & Landforms 36(9): 1172-1182.
• Raven, E.K., Ferguson, R.I. & Lane, S.N. (2011). A coupled sediment routing and lateral migration model for gravel-bed rivers. Hydrological Processes 25(12): 1887-1898.
• Ferguson, R. (2010). Time to abandon the Manning equation? Earth Surface Processes & Landforms 35(15): 1873-1876.
• Raven, E.K., Lane, S.N. & Ferguson, R.I. (2010). Using sediment impact sensors to improve the morphological sediment budget approach for estimating bedload transport rates. Geomorphology 119(1-2): 125-134.
• Verhaar, P.M., Biron, P.M., Ferguson, R.I. & Hoey, T.B. (2010). Numerical modelling of climate change impacts on Saint-Lawrence River tributaries. Earth Surface Processes & Landforms 35(10): 1184-1198.
• Ferguson, R. & Church, M. (2009). A critical perspective on 1-D modeling of river processes: Gravel load and aggradation in lower Fraser River. Water Resources Research 45: W11424.
• Raven, E.K., Lane, S.N., Ferguson, R.I. & Bracken, L.J. (2009). The spatial and temporal patterns of aggradation in a temperate, upland, gravel-bed river. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 34(9): 1181-1197.
• Verhaar, P.M., Biron, P.M., Ferguson, R.I. & Hoey, T.B. (2008). A modified morphodynamic model for investigating the response of rivers to short-term climate change. Geomorphology 101(4): 674-682.
• Sime, L.C., Ferguson, R.I. & Church, M. (2007). Estimating shear stress from moving boat acoustic Doppler velocity measurements in a large gravel bed river. Water Resources Research 43: 1-12.
• Hardy, R.J., Lane, S.N., Ferguson, R.I. & Parsons, D.R. (2007). Emergence of coherent flow structures over a gravel surface: A numerical experiment. Water Resources Research 43(3): W03422.
• Ferguson, R.I. (2007). Flow resistance equations for gravel-and boulder-bed streams. Water Resources Research 43(5): W05427.
• Rice, S.P., Ferguson, R.I. & Hoey, T.B. (2006). Tributary control of physical heterogeneity and biological diversity at river confluences. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 63: 2553-2566.
• Ferguson, R.I., Cudden, J.R., Hoey, T.B. & Rice, S.P. (2006). River system discontinuities due to lateral inputs: generic styles and controls. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 31(9): 1149-1166.
• Keylock, C.J., Hardy, R.J., Parsons, D.R., Ferguson, R.I., Lane, S.N. & Richards, K. (2005). The theoretical foundations and potential for large-eddy simulation (LES) in fluvial geomorphic and sedimentological research. Earth-Science Reviews 71(4): 271-304.
• Ferguson, R.I. (2005). Estimating critical stream power for bedload transport calculations in gravel-bed rivers. Geomorphology 70(1): 33-41.
• Ferguson, R.I. & Church, M. (2004). A simple universal equation for grain settling velocity. Journal of Sedimentary Research 74(6): 933-937.
• Parsons, D.R., Wiggs, G.F.S., Walker, I.J., Ferguson, R.I. & Garvey, B.G. (2004). Numerical modelling of airflow over an idealised transverse dune. Environmental Modelling and Software 19: 153-162.
• Ferguson, R.I. (2003). The missing dimension: effects of lateral variation on 1-D calculations of fluvial bedload transport. Geomorphology 56(1-2): 1-14.
• Hardy, R.J., Lane, S.N., Ferguson, R.I. & Parsons, D.R. (2003). Assessing the credibility of a series of computational fluid dynamic simulations of open channel flow. Hydrological Processes 17(8): 1539-1560.
• Ferguson, R.I. (2003). Publication practices in physical and human geography: a comment on Thrift's 'The future of geography'. Geoforum 34: 9-11.
• Ferguson, R.I. (2003). Emergence of abrupt gravel to sand transitions along rivers through sorting processes. Geology 31(2): 159-162.
• Sime, L.C. & Ferguson, R.I. (2003). Gravel-bed river grain size information by automated image analysis. Journal of Sedimentary Research 73(4): 630-636.
• Ferguson, R.I., Parsons, D.R., Lane, S.N. & Hardy, R.J. (2003). Flow in meander bends with recirculation at the inner bank. Water Resources Research 39(11): 1322.
• Lee, A.J. & Ferguson, R.I. (2002). Velocity and flow resistance in step-pool streams. Geomorphology 46(1): 59-71.
• Ferguson, R.I., Bloomer, D.J., Hoey, T.B. & Werritty, A. (2002). Mobility of river tracer pebbles over different timescales. Water Resources Research 38(5): 1045.
• Ferguson, R.I. & Hoey, T.B. (2002). Long-term slowdown of river tracer pebbles: Generic models and implications for interpreting short-term tracer studies. Water Resources Research 38(8): 1142.
• Ferguson, R.I., Church, M. & Weatherly, H. (2001). Fluvial aggradation in Vedder River: Testing a one dimensional sedimentation model. Water Resources Research 37(12): 3331-3347.