Professor Lester King challenged the Davisian concept of landscape evolution and put forward an alternative model of pediplanation and scarp retreat that is still applicable in many parts of the world. Some of his ideas have since been superseded but he forced his fellow practitioners to critically review some of the theories that they held dear.
"it has revealed an astonishing erosional history without known parallel in any other continent.”
Professor Lester King
In one of his lectures to the Geological Society of South Africa Professor Lester King reminded his audience that the African continent is:
"superlatively rich in certain types of landform,’ and ‘it yielded to the early masters of geomorphology, W.M. Davis, and S. Passarge, information and instances of primary value. From South Africa, inselbergs were first described; its interior plateau early excited wonder as an example of planation by the elements; its dongas were among the first such features recorded; and all have remained wonders ever since…....it has revealed an astonishing erosional history without known parallel in any other continent.”
The buttresses of the Drakensberg. A three thousand metre high plateau of basaltic lavas that define the edge of the Great Escarpment.
Lester King was born in London in 1907. He emigrated to New Zealand where he studied to be a teacher and then read for a degree in geology from the University of New Zealand. In 1935 he took up a position at the Natal University College in Pietermaritzburg in South Africa, and then in 1948 founded the geology department at the University of Natal in Durban.
King found himself either by design or by accident in one of the world’s geomorphological hotspots
Wikipedia tells us that King was an English geologist. Britannica tells us that King was a South African geologist. Our take on it is that he was 28 years old when he moved to South Africa, and that place became his home for the rest of his days so I think Britannica is right. King claimed South Africa as his own and chose to see his days out there. King found himself either by design or by accident in one of the world’s geomorphological hotspots, and he revelled in it. For a man born and raised in urbanised Wimbledon, the vast savannahs, the grand vistas and the endless adventures must have been intoxicating.
Led to the development of some spectacular and in places unique landscapes
Southern Africa’s average elevation lies above 1000 m, which is in great contrast to that of other continents where the average elevation is in the order of 400 m. This of course excludes the great tectonic belts of the world which are special cases in their own right. This elevated hinterland has led to the development of some spectacular and in places unique landscapes which had never been described elsewhere.
The Valley of 1000 Hills is a treasure trove of wonders
A granite inselberg (right centre) being exhumed by post Gondwana downcutting in the Valley of 1000 Hills.
In King’s own words, the African continent is superlatively rich in certain types of landform, and where better a place to study landforms than on your own doorstep. Anyone who has ever looked out across the deeply incised and aptly-named Valley of 1000 Hills will, if they have any powers of observation, be struck by the accordant heights of the plateaux on the opposite rim of the valley - the remnants of an ancient erosion surface. King must have looked across at that view and wondered what was going on. Not to mention the fact that the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful and the valley is a treasure trove of wonders from a geological and geomorphological point of view. The Valley of 1000 Hills is perhaps a 30 km drive from the university gates.
Marks the edge of the Great Escarpment
Further inland lie the towering buttresses of the Drakensberg which mark the edge of the Great Escarpment that separates the elevated hinterland of Southern Africa from the coastal plains that girdle the subcontinent. Uplift, erosion, deeply incised gorges, bornhardts, inselbergs, Jurassic aged erosion surfaces, and the likes of the Tugela and Victoria Falls. The Tugela Falls by the way is the second highest waterfall on Earth. The Victoria Falls needs no introduction.
Evolution of Landscapes
We take an in depth and integrated look at how our Earth formed, the development of plate tectonics, how this operating system drives the rock cycle to form the rock trinity of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. We also dive into the formation of fold mountains, folding, faulting and igneous intrusions. And armed with this knowledge we then venture out onto the peneplains and pediplains to do battle with scarp retreat and the evolution of landscapes.
He himself however was not immune
William Morris Davis
To put things in context, William Morris Davis towered over the geomorphological landscape of 100 years ago. His theory of peneplanation and the erosional cycle held sway for years and apparently he didn't take criticism of his theory lightly. It was Walther Penck, the German geomorphologist, who had first challenged the theory, coming up with the theory of scarp retreat for the development of landscapes. King ran with this idea, developing his theory of pediplanation, based on his observations in Southern Africa. He himself however was not immune to the Davisian idea of erosional cycles in the development of the landscape.
He supported the continental drift idea at a time when it was dangerous to do so
King was also a great supporter of the Continental Drift theory, along with his predecessor Alex du Toit. The evidence for plate tectonics is written large in the Southern African landscape and both King and du Toit were early and very influential proponents of the theory. If you read the Principles of Physical Geology by Arthur Holmes, the go-to geology text book of the day for British and American geologists, it is full of references to King, du Toit, Wegener and the geology and geomorphology of southern Africa. Holmes had also spent some years working in Mozambique and writes about the geology of geomorphology of the subcontinent with authority and insight. He also had his fair share of African adventures and clearly had a soft spot for the place.
King’s theories are still applicable in many parts of the world and his work is still referenced and quoted in geomorphological studies around the world.
The University of Natal, now the UKZN, where King was based. The geology department was in the Memorial Tower Building on the right.
Sadly, we never met the great King of the Plains.
When I was at school, we learned of King’s theory of pediplanation and scarp retreat, as we also learned of Davis’s theory of peneplanation. Walther Penck even got a mention. It all seemed so very dull at the time. Little did we know that King lived up on the hill in the Department of Geology at the University of Natal. He was still the Emeritus Professor there, and it would have been a wonderful thing if our teachers had coaxed the old man down from his ivory tower to tell us about his wonderful theories of pediplanation, scarp retreat and Gondwana, African and Post African erosion surfaces. And I have no doubt that there would have been some amazing tales of adventures had on his explorations across the vast African landscapes. Who wouldn’t want to sign up for a degree in geology or geography after those kinds of stories? Sadly, we never met the great King of the Plains.
Fortunately for us
Fortunately for us all, Rock and Sky is based right here in this geomorphological wonderland where King plied his trade. We have access to many of these features that King and subsequent researchers have studied. If you are in South Africa, you are blessed. If you are elsewhere, then you are also blessed, for our mission is to travel with the camera and the drone, documenting and writing about these amazing places just for you.
Remember, no matter where you are, you live in an amazing place, with its own geomorphological and geological history, and it is up to you as a geography teacher to find out about it and bring that those wonderful things to the attention of your class.
A final plea
A final plea - if you are a geography teacher, wherever you are, and have access to some amazing people, please invite them to give a talk, share their knowledge and tell tales of adventure. I am saddened that we didn't meet King, especially when he was a short 11 km away and reachable by phone. And on that note why not sign up for the Rock and Sky geomorphology courses but following the link below.
Please subscribe and leave your comments. So looking forward to adventuring with you.
Evolution of Landscapes
We take an in depth and integrated look at how our Earth formed, the development of plate tectonics, how this operating system drives the rock cycle to form the rock trinity of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. We also dive into the formation of fold mountains, folding, faulting and igneous intrusions. And armed with this knowledge we then venture out onto the peneplains and pediplains to do battle with scarp retreat and the evolution of landscapes.