Lester Charles King
| Lester King | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1907 Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom |
| Died |
1989 (aged 81–82) Durban, South Africa |
| Residence | England, New Zealand, South Africa |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| Nationality | English |
| Fields | Geomorphology |
| Institutions |
Natal University College University of Natal |
| Alma mater |
Victoria University of Wellington (M.Sc.) University of South Africa (Ph.D.) University of New Zealand (D.Sc.) |
| Known for |
Geography of Southern Africa Pediplain Scarp retreat Cymatogeny |
| Influences | Charles Cotton[1] |
| Notable awards | Gold Medal (RGS) |
Lester Charles King (1907–1989) was an English geologist and geomorphologist known for his theories on scarp retreat. He offered a very different view of the origin of continental landscaping than that of William Morris Davis.[2] While King's ideas were an attempt at refuting Davi's cycle of erosion they were themselves of cyclical nature and contributed to what Cliff Ollier has called "Davis bashing" — the ridicule of cyclical theories in geomorphology, in particular Davi's ones. Critics did however not propose alternative models.[2] For him, the weathering of physical factors in arid areas causes the erosion of the hills, the deposition of the weathered material (pediments) and the deposition of these material in lower altitudes, contributing to the formation of the pediplain. He was also an early proponent of continental drift, having lectured on this matter at a number of U.S. universities during a tour in 1958.
See also
References
- ↑ Twidale, C.R. (1992), "King of the plains: Lester King's contributions to geomorphology", Geomorphology, 5: 491–509
- 1 2 Ollier, Cliff (1995). "Classics in physical geography revisited". Progress in Physical Geography. 19 (3): 371–377.