USGS Hydrologist, Luna B. Leopold Dies

Dr. Luna B. Leopold, an earth scientist widely considered the nation's top expert on how rivers shape the land, died February 23, in Berkeley, California the Washington Post reported today. He was 90.

Dr. Leopold was former chief hydrologist of the U.S. Geological Survey. He revolutionized the study of geomorphology by introducing quantitative methods into a discipline that had been purely descriptive. He authored approximately 200 books and articles, several of which are still used in the field. in 1991 he received the National Medal of Science. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and will be posthumously awarded the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Medal in Earth and Environmental Science next month.

Dr. Leopold was an avid outdoorsman. His interest in nature ranged from the study of local butterfly and sparrow populations to an intense attention to government decisions on mining, timber and water quality.

Via Fantom Planet.