Dr. Charles W. Martin
Professor
Contact Information
1009B Seaton Hall
785-532-3416
cwmgeog@k-state.edu
Education
Ph.D., 1990, University of Kansas
Current Research
I am a physical geographer engaged in field-based research on human impacts on the environment, and specifically on river systems. My current work focuses on the storage of trace metals (Cu, Pb, and Zn) in a drainage basin in central Germany and recent changes in the concentrations and distribution of metals. The watershed drains mined and industrial areas, but is predominantly a rural, agrarian river system. My research examines the spatial and temporal patterns of trace metals as they are transported through the fluvial system.
Selected Publications
- Martin, C.W. 2019. Trace metal concentrations along tributary streams of historically mined areas, Lower Lahn and Dill River basins, central Germany. Catena 174: 174-183.
- Martin, C.W. 2015. Trace metal storage in recent floodplain sediments along the Dill River, central Germany. Geomorphology 235: 52-62.
- Martin, C.W. 2012. Recent changes in heavy metal contamination at near-channel positions of the Lahn River, central Germany. Geomorphology 139-140: 452-459.
- Vandeberg, G.S., Martin, C.W., and Pierzynski, G.M. 2011. Spatial distribution of trace elements in floodplain alluvium of the Upper Blackfoot River, Montana. Environmental Earth Sciences 62: 1521-1534.
- Van Looy, J.A. and Martin, C.W. 2005. Channel and vegetation change on the Cimarron River, southwestern Kansas, USA, 1953-2001. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 95: 727-739
Service
- Head, Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences
- Editorial Board, Geomorphology
Short Biographical Sketch
Chuck Martin, professor of geography and head of the Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences, studies human impacts on river systems with a focus on the movement and storage of trace metals (Cu, Pb, and Zn) in watersheds of Germany.
He received his bachelor's degree in geography from Dartmouth College in 1982. He went on to earn his master's and doctoral degrees in geography from the University of Kansas in 1985 and 1990, respectively. He joined the faculty of the geography department at Kansas State University in August 1989 and has served as department head since July 2013. His work has been published in some of the top professional journals in geography, Quaternary science, geomorphology, and environmental geology. His research on trace metal storage in Germany has been widely cited by professional peers around the world.
He is a four-time recipient of the College of Arts and Sciences William L. Stamey Award for Undergraduate Teaching and was honored in 2009 with the Kansas State University Presidential Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Advising. He served as past director of the Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES) Secondary Major at Kansas State University.