The study of transitional flows is considered crucial for many practical engineering applications. In fact, a comprehensive understanding of the laminar-turbulent transition phenomenon often helps to improve the overall performance of apparatuses such as airfoils, wind turbines, hulls and turbomachinery blades. In addition to understanding I wish to express my gratitude to my supervisors, Professor Wade Huebsch and Professor Mridul Gautam, for their continued encouragement, guidance and constructive criticism. I am also indebted to Professor John Kuhlman and Professor Ismail Celik for their support, especially during the preparation of this dissertation. It benefited from their numerous, valuable comments and helpful discussions. Furthermore, I would like to acknowledge the collaboration and companionship of my colleagues MSc Sharad Chand