Charles H Langmuir, Ph.D.
Higgins Professor of Geochemistry
Director of Mineralogical and Geological Museum at Harvard University
Charles Langmuir is a solid Earth geochemist who carries out research on diverse aspects of the plate tectonic geochemical cycle, including ocean ridges, convergent margins and intraplate volcanism. He has led or participated in 20 cruises to ocean ridges, including the first investigation of the Arctic Ocean ridge system. With Peter Huybers he has proposed close linkages between volcanism and glacial cycles both on land and undersea which has led to widespread interest and controversy (voice.fas.harvard.edu). Charlie was the principal investigator for PetDB, the pioneering geochemical data base (www.petdb.org). He was one of the founders of the journal Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems ("G-Cubed" www.g-cubed.org ) a leading journal of the American Geophysical Union.
With Wally Broecker Charlie published How to Build a Habitable Planet (www.habitableplanet.org) which conveys the history of Earth from the Big Bang to humankind in a form that can be used as a textbook and also is accessible to the interested public. The book receiced Honorable Mention for the Prose Award as one of the best Earth science books published in 2012 from the American Publishers Association.
For his scientific contributions Charlie has received the Bowen Award from the American Geophysical Union, the Arthur Holmes Medal from the European Union of Geosciences for outstanding international contributions to solid Earth science, and the Urey Medal from the European Union of Geochemistry for outstanding contributions to geochemistry over a career. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and 1998, and the National Academy of Sciences in 2006. He is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the Geochemical Society.
Charlie received his B.A. from Harvard University in 1973, and Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1980. He has been at Harvard since 2002, after 20 years at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
Link to full CV here.
EDUCATION:
| 1973: | B.A. with honors - Harvard University - History of Science and Geology |
| 1977: | M.S. - SUNY, Stony Brook, New York |
| 1980: |
Ph.D. - SUNY, Stony Brook - Thesis Title: A major and trace element approach to basalts Thesis Advisor: G. N. Hanson |
FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS:
| 1973 - 1974: | Henry Russell Shaw traveling fellowship from Harvard University |
| 1980 - 1981: | Post-doctoral fellowship from Lamont-Doherty |
| 1983 - 1985: | Alfred Sloan Research Fellow |
| 1993: | Fellow, American Geophysical Union |
| 1996: | N. L. Bowen Award, American Geophysical Union |
| 1997: | Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences |
| 1998: | Daly Lecturer, American Geophysical Union |
| 1998: | Fellow, Geochemical Society and European Geochem. Soc. |
| 2003: | Arthur Holmes Medal, European Union of Geosciences |
| 2006: | Member, National Academy of Sciences |
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:
| 1998 - 2000 | Co-founder, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
| 2000 - 2002 | AGU Nominations Committee |
| 2000 - 2006; | Ridge 2000 Steering Committee |
EMPLOYMENT:
| 1981 - 1986 | Assistant Professor, Lamont-Doherty Earth Obs., of Columbia University, Palisades, New York |
| 1986 - 1988 | Associate Professor, Lamont-Doherty Earth Obs. |
| 1988 - 2002 | Professor, Lamont-Doherty Geol. Obs. |
| 1989 - 2002 | Arthur D. Storke Memorial Professor, Lamont-Doherty |
| 1989 - 1990 | Visiting Scientist, Institut de Physique du Globe, Paris |
| 2002 - 2003 | Visiting Scientist, Institut de Physique du Globe, Paris |
| 2002 - | Professor of Geochemistry, Harvard University |
SEAGOING EXPERIENCE:
1984 R/V Kana Keoki Izu volcanic arc and back-arc rifts (Petrologist)
1985 R/V New Horizon East Pacific Rise : 6°-13° N (Co-Chief Scientist - CHEPR)
1985 R/V Knorr Mid-Atlantic Ridge : Kane Fracture Zone (Chief for petrology program)
1987 R/V Oceanus Mid-Atlantic Ridge : 26°-32°N (Chief for petrology program)
1987 R/V Atlantis II/Alvin Bonin back-arc rifts (Petrologist)
1989 R/V T. Washington E.Pacific Rise (Co-Chief Scientist - VENTURE)
1991 R/V Atalante Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Petrologist - Project SIGMA)
1992 R/V Atlantis II Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 32°41°N (Chief Scientist - FAZAR)
1993 R/V Atlantis II/Alvin Lucky Strike Hydrothermal Site (Chief Scientist)
1993 R/V Hakuko-Maru Indian Ocean Triple Junction (Petrologist)
1997 R/V Melville East Pacific Rise (Chief Scientist - OROZCO)
2001 USCGC Healy Gakkel Ridge, Arctic Ocean, Principal Investigator
2004 R/V Kilo Moana Lau Basin, South Pacific, Principal Investigator
2012 R/V Knorr Mid-Atlantic Ridge : Kane Fracture Zone (Chief Scientist)