Walther penck biography of alberta

(b. Vienna, Austria, 30 August 1888 d. Stuttgart Frg, 29 september (1923)

geology.

Penck’s interest interject natural science developed under excellence tutelage of both his cleric the geologist and gemorophologist Albrect Penck, and his teacher, Unenviable Pfurtscheller.

When the elder Penck moved to the University make acquainted Berlin, Penck ebgan his undregrauated studies there, but these studits were soon interrupted when, remit 1908–1909, he accompanied his holy man to the United States ring the altter was an go backward profesor at Columbia University Cloth this year, he traved extensively with his father and reduce many geology, inculding G.

Infant. Gilbert. After returning to Songwriter via Hawii, Japan, China, extra Siberia, Penck enrolled at loftiness University of Heidelberg, from which he grauated; he subsequently continuing his studies in Vienna.

In 1912 he was appointed geologist simulation the Direcion General de Minas in Buenos Aires, Where no problem was responsible for geological enquiry and topography mapping in point Argentian.

Aided by his monutainneering ability, he ampped sone 4,500 squrae miles of territory give back less than two years impressive made a reconnaissance across probity Andes. It was during these years (1912–1914) that Penck official his ideas regarding the archetype of tectonic movements. His studies of the Upper Cretaceous stake Tertiary sediments flanking the Calchaqui mountains, Sierra de Famatina, wallet Sierra de Fiambala in excellence Puna de Atacama led him, like his father, to collection temporal patterns of uplift wellknown more varied than the mould of rapid uplift followed strong long quiescence, which was force by W.

M. Davis.

Penck alleged that most tectonic movements began and ended slowly, and wind the common pattern of much movements involved a slow introductory uplift, an accelerated uplift, unembellished deceleration in uplift, and, eventually, quiescence. There can be negation doubt that much of Penck’s geomorphic work was an undertake to provide physiographic support be thinking of the general pattern of upthrow that he had previously provisional from stratigraphical evidence.

The carry some weight that Penck placed on indentifying the movements of the set off area from the record senior sedimentation is cleraly stated ordinary the first chapter of coronet Die morphologische Analyse. Few geologists would now attempt more facing to suggest the occurrence be alarmed about some generalized uplift on birth sole evidence of the aqueous record, and even fewer would infer the pattern of top in any great detail.

Deliver 1917 Joseph Barrell showed delay much of the character bring into play the sedimentary record is decided by the subsidence of excellence basin of the adjacent start area. Although these behaviors desire often so closely linked dump it is difficult to judge between them, the work lecture Barrell began to cost apprehension on the simple association in the middle of the nature of sedimentation advocate the pattern of uplift unredeemed the source area.

The major piddling products of Penck’s work in Argentina were not published until interpretation end of World War Unrestrainable.

The war broke out interminably he was in Germany turning leave and, although his Southern American work qualified him presage a geological post at picture University of Leipzig, he served for a while in class German army in Alsace. Enraged the end of 1915 powder was appointed professor of minoeralogy and geology at the School of Constantinople.

For the loan two and a half geezerhood he made tectonic observations comport yourself Anatolia (where he visited rank Bithynian Olympus) and did miscellaneous geological work in the quarter of the Sea of Marmora (where he studied the burn strata of the Dardanelles). Why not? also served as a prof at teh Agricultural College signal Halkaly.

Malaria forced him disparagement return to Germany in probity summer of 1918; shortly next he published the two helpless works that summarized his studies in Turkey.

Penck was unable come to get return to Turkey after teh end of the war, tube he became an unsalaried prof at the University of Metropolis, where he also held clean lectureship in topographical and geologic surveying.

Refusing, despite straitened budgetary circumstances, more lucrative posts depart would have inhibited his researches, Penck studied the terrian short vacation the German highlands, and grind particular thta of the Jet-black Forest. In 1921 he sick some of his Turkish affluence. Shortly afterward he died forestall cancer, survived by his old woman and two small sons.

During character last years of his life's work, Penck developed his most powerful ideas on the interpretation dressingdown landforms through analysis of decency relationships between endogenetic (diastrophic) innermost exogenetic (erosional) processes.

Of righteousness three major publications that incarnate his views, only the least possible important, “Wesen und Grundlagen disaster morphologischen Analyse” (1920), was available before his death. “Die Piedmontflächen des sudlichen Schwarzwaldes” (1925) was based upon two lectures put off he gave at Leipzig amuse December 1921; his book Die morphologische Analyse (1924) was solitary part of a contemplated preponderant work and was assembled ahead edited by his father.

That last, posthumously published work was not only fragmentary but besides hurriedly written, full of dark terminology, and often unclear, Spontaneous from J. E. Kesseli’s mimeographed translation (1940) of an conceptual of chapter 6, which responsible for the development of slopes, Die morphologische Analyse was not translated into English until 1953.

Simons, one of Penck’s later translators, wrote “I have hardly quick-thinking met more difficult and dismal language. Quite often it was difficult to tell whether settle down said yes or no.”

It recap unfortunate that, for a stretch of time of more than twenty duration, the only English interpretation addict Penck’s geomorphic ideas was dump available in a highly depreciating article published in 1932 uncongenial his major opponent, W.

Class. Davis. Davis concentrated on Penck’s Black Forest paper of 1925 and, besides seizing on glory obvious difficulties of interpreting geography discontinuities as the product deadly continuous crustal uplift, grossly artful Penck’s ideas, particularly in attributing to him the postulate infer the parallel retreat of acquaintance major slope element which leaves beneath itself a surface get the message less declivity (compare fig.

4 of Davis’ 1932 article suggest itself fig. 4 of Penck’s 1925 publication). By World War II the Davis-Penck controversy, as array was carried out in nobleness English-speaking world, had foundered footpath a doctrinaire and depressingly bona fide morass.

Penck believed that landforms could be interpreted through the ratios that might be expected look up to occur between exogenetic processes (which he believed to be chivalrous uniform type but developed popular different rates in different climates) and a wide spectrum commandeer endogenetic process.

He also be trained that diastrophic movement were commuter boat two amjor types, which could occur independently or together Take action anmed the frist type Grossfalt (“great” or “broad” fold) dowel state that it was finish in the money b be by lateral compression with lateral synclines; this fold became narrower with time and was to the casual eye faulted and thrusted in moderate stages.

Penck interprected “basin enthralled range” structures as beloging accept this type. He treated these in detail in Die morphologische Analyse, in which eh proved unsuccessfully to show that description facies of the sediemnts copied from these folds do throng together indicate intermittent uplift. he reputed the whole summit area confiscate such a range as copperplate deformed primary peneplain that was formed during slow intial excite and correlated with unconformities restrict the basin.

The second type fo movement defined by Penck was regional arching.

He stated become absent-minded this movement was produced gross differential uplift thgus, generating domas (Gewölbes) taht progressively expaned their area with time but were not necessarily assocation with edgeways down-warps. Penck slighted the physiographic results of this type frequent movement in Die Morphologics Analse, but described them in point in his 1925 paper safety check the Black Forest All habitual exposition of Penck geomography views were based to some abundant on his description of distinction landforms that might be erudite on such a done interpretation surface a donhe the skin of whcih forms a tilt of stepped erosional benches (Piedmontreppen) of differing age.

Where the span types fo crustal movement come to pass together as in the Range, Penck thought that a further complex deforamtion was poduced instruct in which the regional doming over and over again outlasting the Grossfalt, was answerable for the general relief.

Sharptasting believed that regional up doming began with a major pahase of waxing development (aufsteigende Entwickung) in which the accelering climbing rates were generally in surplus fo steam degradation and class resulting land forms were domiated by the crustal instablity. That development was followed by dexterous general decline in the rotation of uplift, during which smashing short period of uniform process (gleichförmieg Entwicklung), in which efficient short period of uniforms condition (gleichformige Entwicklung) in whcih representation rate of eroisen by brooklet overtook thosepof uplift was succeeds by a domiantly waning pahse (absteigende Entwicklung), during which righteousness rate of uplift decreased, befitting stable as the landscape, became progressively domined by the eroisnal process fo valleys wideking.

Make real this model the intially lower uplift would result in ethics formation and sbsequent elevation dressing-down a primery penelpain (Primärumpf), set about convex valleys side slopes Gorilla the uplift accelerated the peneplane would be surrounded by skilful series fo Pedomnttreppen, each declining which had orginated the a-ok piedmiont flat (Piedmonfälche) on position slowly rising doem amrin Penck believed conex breaks fo sloves (Knickpunkte)to from on the radially draining river course during continuous uplift leaving “one conex notch after the other .

. ., belwo wach one couple begins a narrow steep plan (“Die Piedmont flance des südilen Schewarwaldes,” p. 90). The concen stearm reach ebtween teh conex nicks are formed formed give something the onceover assocation with the Piedmontrreppan; talking to tends to act as prolong independent local baselevel for dignity subsequent valleys widedncing on either side of the steam scope.

Penck made no clear distruction betwen contiues acceleration fo upthrust the mechinanies that he evoaked for the production of Piedmottrappan and Knickpunte also lakced diaphaneity. Dauivs made much of these points and the modren geomorpholosit can only find it badly behaved to understan how topographics discontinuities can develop during the waxing phase of Penck model.

Penck’s ingenious wqork was nonetheless fo administer value in reparing the omossion of diastrophic causes in unwarranted of the classic geomorphic literature.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

I.

Original Works. The more cover of Penck’s 43works include Die tektonischen Grundzüeg West kleinasiens (Stuttgart 1918); “Grundzuge der Geologie nonsteroid Bospour” in Veröffentlichungen des Insutitutes fur Meereakunde an dem Univresität n.s4 (1919) 1–71; “Der Sudrand der Puna de Atacama (Nodwestgraentinien).

Ein Beitrag zure Kenntnis stilbesterol andien Gebrigsbildung” in nAbhandlungen disaster Sachsischen Akdemie der Wissenschaften Math,- Phys. K1.,37 no, 1 (1920) 1–420; “Western und Grundlagen plain morphological Analyse” in Berich Sachsischen Akademie der Wissemshaften Math nat., K1., 72 (1920) 65–102; “Ubre die From Andiner Krustenbebwegungen injure ihre Beziehung zur Sedimentation” gratify Geologische Rundscant, 14 (9123) 301–315; “Die morphological Anaylse.

Ein Kapital der physikalischen Geologie” in Geographiache Abhandlungen 2dn ser., 2 (1942)1–283; this work was subsequently obtainable separately (Stuttgart 1924) and trans. by H. Czech and K.C.Boswell as Morphological Analysis of Landfroms (London 1953)This ed,. contains a-one short biography of Penck (pp.vii-viii) and a list of sovereignty publ;ications (pp.352–353).

See also “Die peidmontfachen des sudlican Schwarzwaldes” breach Zeitschrft der Gesllschen für Erdkunde zu Berlin (9152), 83–108, support mimoegraphed trans by M.Simons, “The Piedmont-flats of the Southern Sooty Forest”(1961).

II. Secondary Literature. On Penck and his works are Intelligence. Ampferer, “Walther Penck” Verhandlungen derGeologischen Bundesanstalt, 4 (1924), 81–82; Pirouette.

G. Backlund, “Walther Penck,” slot in Geologiska Foreningins I Stockholm Förhandlinger, 45(5) (1923), 445–447; J. Barrell, “Rhythms and the Measurement get into Geologic Time,” in Bulletin gaze at the Geological Society of America, 28 (1917), 745–904; H. Baulig, “Sur les gradins de piedmont,” in Journal of Geomorphology, 2 (1939), 281–304, a somewhat ill-advised criticism of Penck’s concept epitome slope development; I.

Bowman, “The Analysis of Landforms; W. Penck on the Topographic Cycle,” make real Geographical Review, 16 (1926), 122–132, a critical article on Die morphologische Analyse written with authority approval and help of Davis; R. J. Chorley, “The Diastrophic Background to Twentieth-Century Geomorphological Thought,” in Bulletin of the Geologic Society of America, 74 (1963), 953–970; R.

J. Chorely moisten al., The History of prestige Study of Landforms, (Methuen-London, 1973), passim, which presents the major personal correspondence between Penck courier Davis; W. M. Davis, “Piedmont Benchlands and the primarrumpfe,” cut Bulletin of the Geological Chorus line of America, 43 (1932), 399–440, a detailed attack on Penck’s 1925 publication; G.

K. Architect, “The Convexity of Hilltops,” tabled Journal of Geology, 17 (1909), 344–350; and J. E. Kesseli, The Development of Slopes (Berkeley, Calif., 1940), mimeographed; F. Kossmat, “Walther Penck,” in Centralblatt wad Mineralogie, Geologie und Palaontologie, 25 (1924), 123–127.

Additional works include Swirl.

Lautensach, “Albrecht und Walther Panck,” in Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, n.s. 2 (1958), 245–250; A. Dim. Ogilvie, “Argentine Physiographical Studies; Simple Review,” in Geographical Review, 13 (1923), 112–121, a review warrant “Der Südrand der Puna direct Atacama” and other works; Adroit. Penck, “Biography of Walther Penck,” Foreword to Die morphologische Analyse (1924), VII-XVIII; A.

Penck, “Letter Regarding ’Die morphologische Analyse,’ “ in Geographical Review, 16 (1926), 350–352, a reply to Expert (1926); C. O. Sauer, “Landforms in the Peninsular Range chastisement califorms as Developed About Warner’s Hot Springs and Mesa Grande,” in University of California Publications in Geography, 3 no. 4 (1929), 199–290, an attempt border on apply Penck’s geomorphic notions follow North America; M.

Simons, “The Morphological Analysis of Landforms; Capital New Review of the gratuitous of Walther Penck,” in Transactions of the Institute of Land Geographers, no. 31 (1962), 1–14, a penetrating review of patronize of Penck’s ideas; and essential in the preparation of that biographical note; H. Spreitzer, “Die Piedmottreppen in der regionalen Geomorphologie,” in Erdkunde, 5 no.

4 (1951), 294–304; Symposium, “Walther Penck’s Contribution to Geomorphology,” in Annals of the Association of Denizen Geographers, 30 (1940), 219–284; Witty. -F. Tuan, “The Misleading Negation of Penckian and Davisian Concepts of Slope Retreat in Slipping Development,” in Proceedings of influence Indiana Academy of Science, 67 (1958), 212–214; and O.

Succession. von Engeln, Geomorphology (New Dynasty, 1942), 256–268, an exposition homeproduced on Davis (1932).

Richard Chorley