Researchers

Christopher Chambers

700 Collins St, 
Docklands, Victoria 3008
Australia
Tel: + 61 03 9669 4614
Fax: 
Email: C.Chambers@bom.gov.au

Chris Chambers' research experience is primarily in meteorology and specifically high resolution numerical modelling. In 1999 he got his undergraduate degree from Reading University, UK, studying sensitivity tests on James Lovelock’s simple Gaia model Daisyworld for his 3rd year project. In 2000 he moved to Hawaii for graduate school. For his masters degree he ran MM5 simulations to investigate rainfall gradients on the island of Kauai. A side investigation looked into the effect of changing vegetation type on the island rainfall. In 2004 he began a PhD that investigated the influence of the Big Island of Hawaii on track, intensity and structure of tropical cyclones passing nearby or making landfall. It was found that the island, with two very broad 4000+ m high volcanoes has a dramatic impact on lower tropospheric flow that affects the steering current and vertical wind shear, particularly in the lee of the island. Consequently there are significant structural and track changes to tropical cyclones passing nearby. Simulations were also run of tropical cyclogenesis including the formation of near equatorial Typhoon Vamei (2001) in the South China Sea. In 2008 he began post doctoral work at the University of Hawaii focussed on assimilating lighting data into simulations of Typhoons down to resolutions of 1 km. He has chased severe thunderstorms in the Midwest USA over 3 separate springs and those experiences have heightened his interest in supercells and squall lines. At the University of Hawaii he taught meteorology laboratory as well as introductory meteorology lectures.

In late 2011 he moved to Melbourne, Australia to begin work as a severe ocean weather research fellow on an investigation into the effect of East Australian Current Eddies on east coast lows.

His hobbies include storm chasing, surfing, sea kayaking, cycle touring, hiking, cactus collecting and time-lapse photography.

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