Paul Linden is internationally recognised for his studies of fluid flow. Through his work, Paul has advanced our understanding of oceanography and meteorology and answered environmental and industrial problems. He has isolated the basic physical processes underlying a diverse range of phenomena and developed innovative imaging and measuring techniques.

His work on gravity-driven flows has led to a greater knowledge of the formation of fronts in the atmosphere and the ocean, and also has industrial applications. He pioneered architectural fluid mechanics and made substantial contributions to the study of natural ventilation flows in complex buildings. Consequently, his concepts have been used in a number of high-profile construction projects, including the New York Times Building in the United States.

Paul has received a number of honours and awards throughout his career, including the Phillips Prize for Physics of the University of Adelaide in 1965 and a University of California, San Diego Sustainability Award in 2007. He is an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society and Academia Europaea.