Walter Penck

Walter Penck (1888–1923) was a German geomorphologist, geographer and geologist. He was the son of Albrecht Penck, a physical geographer and geomorphologist (1858–1945 AD). He studied at the University of Berlin, University of Heidelberg and Yale University. He was mainly engaged in geomorphology teaching and research, and he considered geomorphology to be an interdisciplinary subject between geography and geology. He published more than 27 works, including ‘Morphological Analysis of Landforms’. His ideas about geomorphic evolution were different from the erosion cycle (youth, mature and old stages) theory of W.M. Davis. He considered landforms to be the result of the interaction between tectonic uplift and denudation and a reflection of the nature and processes of crustal movement, where geomorphology provides evidence for understanding the nature and processes of endogenic geological forces. He developed the parallel retreat theory of slopes and proposed the concepts of piedmont...