William Morris Davis: Father of Geomorphology or Father of Geology’s Unrecognized Paradigm Problem

Abstract

An often unrecognized problem is the geology and glacial history paradigm’s inability to explain topographic map drainage system and erosional landform evidence, which means geology research studies rarely address that type of topographic map evidence. The problem originated in the late 19 th century with William Morris Davis who is sometimes called the father of geomorphology and was one of the first geologists to interpret what in the late 19 th century were newly available topographic maps. An 1889 Davis paper describes selected drainage system evidence observed on an advance copy of the 1890 Doylestown (Pennsylvania) topographic map and an 1892 Ward paper written after discussions with Davis describes additional selected drainage system evidence seen on the same map. Both papers fail to mention the majority of the Doylestown map’s drainage system features including most barbed tributaries, asymmetric drainage divides, and through (dry) valleys crossing major drainage divides. Had Davis used all of the map’s drainage system and erosional landform evidence he should have recognized the map evidence shows headward erosion of an east-oriented Neshaminy Creek valley captured southwest-oriented streams which headward erosion of the south-oriented Delaware River valley and its east-oriented tributary Tohickon Creek valley had beheaded. Consciously or unconsciously, Davis chose not to alert future investigators that Doylestown topographic map evidence did not support his yet-to-be-published Pennsylvania and New Jersey erosion history interpretations and instead Davis proceeded to develop and promote erosion history interpretations which the map evidence did not support.