Animal Migration Studies:   Presently, the link between breeding and wintering sites of long-distant migrant songbirds is largely unknown. Such information is essential for understanding the year-round population dynamics of these species and more importantly for developing conservation strategies. We are using strontium, hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon isotopes of feathers to identify regional breeding populations and to track these onto their Neotropical breeding grounds.  In addition, we have extended this technique to track Atlantic Salmon migration. 

Paleoelevation Studies:   Understanding the topographic history of mountain belts is an important problem in Earth Sciences both because of establishing the relationship between climate change and mountain building process and because it provides fundamental information about tectonic processes.  However, documenting topographic histories has been difficult because there are relatively few methods available that allow quantitative estimates of paleorelief.  We have shown that oxygen and hydrogen isotopes can be used to study the topographic evolution of mountain belts.  Our current research includes reconstructing the paleotopography of the Sierra Nevada of California, the Southern Alps of New Zealand, the Rocky Mountains, and the Himalaya.

Climate Change:   We are using oxygen isotopes of goethite in ferricrete deposits in Alpine catchments to reconstruct the past 10,000 years of climate.  This work is located in the Colorado and Montana Rocky Mountains.

Fluid Flow Studies: Our current research in the Himalaya and the Southern Alps focuses on how the rapid rise of mountains creates large-scale hydrothermal systems.  These systems play a key role in the thermal and mechanical development of continental margins and are important in the generation of ore deposits.

Integrated metamorphic and tectonic studies:  We are conducting geochronologic and petrologic studies of the Namche Barwa region of the eastern Himalaya.  The goal of this research is to examine tectonic processes of indentor corners.  The petrologic and geochronologic studies will be integrated with geomorphologic and geophysical studies.

Weathering Studies:  We are integrating numerical models with field studies in an effort to understand weathering processes in active orogens.  Our current research focusses on the Southern Alps of New Zealand.  In this area we can examine how uplift, rainfall, and weathering are related.

Boron Isotopic Studies:  We are currently developing methods to analyze boron isotopes of waters using the SHRIMP RG.  Our current research focusses on methods development and applications of boron isotopes to environmental problems.
 

Ph.D. 1985   Harvard University - Geology and Geophysics Department 
 M.A. 1981   Dartmouth College - Earth Sciences Department
 B.S. 1979   Syracuse University-Earth Sciences Department

Employment

 2001-present   Professor of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University
1994-2001 Professor of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College
 1997  Smithsonian Institute - Short term Visitor
 1997  Carnegie Institution of Washington, Geophysical Laboratory, 
Visiting Investigator
 1992-1996 Chairman, Earth Sciences Department at Dartmouth
 Spring 1992 Visiting Professor, California Institute of Technology 
 1989-1994 Associate Professor, Dartmouth College
 1987-1989 Assistant Professor , Dartmouth College
 1985-1987 Postdoctoral fellowship, Geophysical Laboratory
 

 

 
Rubenstein, D.R., Chamberlain, C.P., Holmes, R.T., Ayres, M.P., Waldbauer, J.R., Graves, G.R., and Tuross, N.C. (in press) Linking the breeding and wintering ranges of Neotropical migrant songbirds using stable isotopes. Science

Zeitler, P.K., Koons, Bishop, M.P., Chamberlain, C.P., Craw, D., Edwards, M.A., Hamidullah, S., Jan, M.Q., Khan, A.A., Khattak, M.U., Kidd, W., Mackie, R.L., Meltzer, A.S., Park, S.K., Pecher, A., Poage, M.A., Sarker, D.A., Seeber, L., and Shroder, J.F.  (in review) Crustal reworking at Nanga Parbat, Pakistan, I. Metamorphic consequences of thermal-mechanical coupling facilitated by erosion. Tectonics, v. 20, p. 712-728.

 
Hren, M.T., Chamberlain, C.P., and Magilligan, F.J.  (2001) A combined surface and geochemical analysis of metal fluxes in a historically mined region: A case study from the New World Mining District, MT. Environmental Geology

 
Jacobson, A.D., Blum, J.D., Chamberlain, C.P., Poage, M., and Sloan, V.F. (2001) The Ca/Sr and Sr isotope systematics of a Himalayan glacial chronosequence: Carbonate versus silicate weathering rates as a function of landscape surface age. Geochem Cosmochim Acta, v. 65.

 
Poage, M.A., and Chamberlain, C.P. (2001) Empirical relationships between elevation and the stable isotope composition of precipitation: considerations for studies of paleoelevation change.  American Journal of Science, v. 301, p. 1-15.

 
Horton, T., Chamberlain, C.P., Craw, D. (2001) Hydrothermal arsenic enrichment in an active mountain belt, Southern Alps, New Zealand, Chemical Geology, v. 1777, p. 323-339.

 
Zeitler, P.K., Meltzer, A.S., Koons, P.O., Craw, D., Hallet, B., Chamberlain, C.P., Kidd, W., Park, S., Seeber, L., Bishop, M., and Shroder, J. (2001) Erosion, Himalayan Geodynamics and the Geomorphology of Metamorphism. Geology Today, v. 11, p. 4-9.

 
Burkins, M. B., Virginia, R.A., Chamberlain, C.P. and Wall, D.H.  (2000) The origin of soil organic matter in Taylor Valley, Antarctica: A legacy of climate change.  Ecology, v. 81, p. 2377-2391.

 
Poage, M.A., Chamberlain, C.P., and Craw, D., (2000) Massif-wide metamorphism and fluid evolution at Nanga Parbat, northwestern Pakistan. American Journal of Science, v. 300, p. 463-482

 
Becker, J.A., Craw, D., Horton, T., and Chamberlain, C.P. (2000) Gold mineralisation near the Main Divide, upper Wilberforce valley, Southern Alps, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, v. 43, 199-215.

 
Chamberlain, C.P., and Poage, M.A. (2000) Reconstructing the paleotopography of mountain belts from the isotopic composition of authigenic minerals. Geology, v. 28, 115-118.

 
Chamberlain, C.P., Bensch S., Feng, X., Akesson, S., and Andersson, T.  (2000) Stable isotopes examined across a migratory divide in Scandinavian willow warblers (Phylloscopus trochilus trochilus and Phylloscopus trochilus acredula) reflect their African winter quarters. Proceedings Royal Society of London, v. 267, 43-48.

 
Poage, M.A., Sjostrom, D.J., Goldberg, J., Chamberlain, C.P., and Furniss, G. (2000) Evidence for Holocene climate change in the northern Rockies from a goethite-rich ferricrete chronosequence.  Chemical Geology, v. 166, 327-340.

 
Feng, X., Faiia, A., WoldeGabriel, G., Aronson, J.L., Poage, M., and Chamberlain, C.P. (1999) Oxygen isotope studies of illite/smectite and clinoptilolite from Yucca Mountain: implications for paleohydrological conditions. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., v. 171, p. 95-106.

 
Templeton, A.S., Craw, D., Koons, P., and Chamberlain, C.P. (1999) Near-surface expression of a young mesothermal gold mineralizing system, Sealy Range, Southern Alps, New Zealand. Mineralum Depositia, v. 34, p. 163-172.

 
Horton, T., Chamberlain, C.P., Matt Fantle, and Joel D. Blum (1999) Chemical weathering and the lithologic controls of water chemistry in a high-elevation river system: Clarkís Fork of the Yellowstone River, Wyoming and Montana, Water Resources Research, v. 35, 1643-1655.

 
Chamberlain, C.P., and Blum, J.B. (1999) Isotopic tracing of animal migration. In. Isotopes as Indicators of Environmental Change (eds. McDonnell and Kendal)

 
Chamberlain, C.P., Poage, M., Craw, D., and Reynolds, R. (1999) Topographic development  of the Southern Alps recorded by the isotopic composition of authigenic clay minerals, South Island, New Zealand, Chemical Geology, v. 155, 279-294.

 
Burkins, M.B., Chamberlain, C.P., Virginia, R.A., and Freckman, D.W.  (1998)  Natural abundance of carbon and nitrogen isotopes in potential sources of organic matter to soils of Taylor Valley, Antarctica.  Antarctic Journal of the United States 1996 Review Issue, v. 31,  209-210.

 
Blum, J.D., Gazis, C.A., Jacobson, A.D., and Chamberlain, C.P. (1998) Carbonate versus silicate weathering in the Raikot watershed within the High Himalayan Crystalline Series. Geology, v. 26, 411-414.

 
Ryan, P.C., Conrad, M.E., Brown, K., and Chamberlain,C.P. (1998) Oxygen isotope compositions of mixed-layer serpentine/chlorite and illite/smectite in the Tuscaloosa Formation (US Gulf Coast): Implications for pore fluids and mineralogic reactions. Clays and Clay Minerals, v. 46, 357-368.

 
Harrington, R.R., Kennedy, B.P., Chamberlain, C.P., Blum, J.D., and Folt, C.L. (1998) N15 enrichment in agricultural catchments: field patterns and applications to tracking Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)  Chemical Geology, v. 147, 281-294.

 
Templeton, A.S., Chamberlain, C.P., Koons, P., and Craw, D. (1998) Tectonically driven mixing between midcrustal fluids and surface-derived waters during Recent uplift of the Southern Alps, New Zealand. Earth Planet. Sci. Letters., v. 154, 73-92.

 
Koeberl, C., Reimold, W.U., Blum, J.D., and Chamberlain, C.P. (1998) Petrology and geochemistry of target rocks from the Bosumtwi impact structure, Ghana, and comparison with Ivory Coast tektites. Geochim Cosmochim Acta., v. 62, 2179-2196.

 
Koons, P.O., Craw, D., Cox, S.C., Upton, P., Templeton, A.S., and Chamberlain, C.P. (1998) Fluid flow during active oblique convergence: A Southern Alps model from mechanical and geochemical observations. Geology, v. 26, 159-162. 

 
Gazis, C.A., Blum, J.D., Chamberlain, C.P., and Poage, M.A. (1998) Isotope systematics of granites and gneisses of the Nanga Parbat Massif, Pakistan Himalaya. American Journal of Science, v. 298, 673-698.

 
Koeberl, C., Reimold, W.U., Blum, J.D., and Chamberlain, C.P. (1998) Petrology and geochemistry of target rocks from the Bosumtwi Impact structure, Ghana, and comparison with Ivory Coast tektites. Geochem Cosmochim Acta, v. 62, 2179-2196.

last updated12/18/01