Nelson Horatio Darton (December 17, 1865 – February 28, 1948) was a

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...

who worked for the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...

. He was born in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, started working in his uncle's

drug A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via insufflation (medicine), inhalation, drug i ...

business at thirteen years old, and becoming a practicing

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

. His interest in geology started as a sideline, and he was hired by the

U.S. Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on March ...

in 1886. Darton was an expert at geological photography, a noted

geological map A geological map or geologic map is a special-purpose map made to show various geological features. Rock (geology), Rock units or stratum, geologic strata are shown by color or symbols. Bed (geology), Bedding planes and structural features such ...

maker, and a

hydrogeologist Hydrogeology (''hydro-'' meaning water, and ''-geology'' meaning the study of the Earth) is the area of geology that deals with the distribution and movement of groundwater in the soil and rocks of the Earth's crust (commonly in aquif ...

. He was awarded the

Penrose Medal The Penrose Medal was created in 1925 by R.A.F. Penrose, Jr., as the top prize awarded by the Geological Society of America. Originally created as the Geological Society of America Medal it was soon renamed the Penrose Medal by popular assent of ...

in 1940. He also made some important

paleontological Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geolo ...

discoveries. He retired in 1936 at the age of 71 but was allowed to keep his office at the

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an government agency, agency of the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geograp ...

, and he continued an active geological career with a focus on the geology of the

Washington DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

area. He produced more than 200 publications and received many honors and awards. Three weeks before he died in 1948, he was still coming daily to the USGS and gave a lecture to th
Geological Society of Washington
on the geology of the DC area. Snoke, Arthur W. ''Nelson Horatio Darton: the quintessential reconnaissance geologist of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains'' ''Rocky Mountain Geology''; October 2003; v. 38; no. 2; p. 283-287;

Publications

*
Preliminary report on the geology and underground water resources of the central Great Plains
'

Professional Paper 32(1905) * ''Geology of the Owl Creek Mountains, with notes on resources of adjoining regions in the ceded portion of the Shoshone Indian Reservation, Wyoming'' United States 59th Congress, Senate Document no. 219, (1906) *
Description of Bald Mountain and Dayton quadrangles, Wyoming
'

Geologic Atlas, folio 141 (1906) *
Description of Cloud Peak and Fort McKinney quadrangles, Wyoming
'

Geologic Atlas, folio 142 (1906) *
Geology of the Bighorn Mountains
'

Professional Paper 51 (1906) *
Geology and underground waters of the Arkansas Valley in eastern Colorado
'

Professional Paper 52 (1906) * ''Paleozoic and Mesozoic of central Wyoming:.'' ''Geological Society of America Bulletin,'' v. 19, p. 403–470 (1908) *
Geology and water resources of the northern portion of the Black Hills and adjoining regions in South Dakota and Wyoming
'

Professional Paper 65 (1909) *
Description of the Laramie and Sherman quadrangles, Wyoming
' with E. Blackwelder, and C.E. Siebenthal

Geologic Atlas, folio 173 (1910) *
Description of the central Black Hills, South Dakota
' with S. Paige

Geologic Atlas, folio 219 (1925) *''Story of the Grand Canyon'': ''How It Was Made'', pamphlet, published by Fred Harvey, 1917

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Darton, Nelson Horatio 1865 births 1948 deaths California Institute of Technology alumni Harvard University alumni American geologists Penrose Medal winners United States Geological Survey personnel Hydrogeologists