King, Clarence (1842-1901)

US geologist whose observations while directing the US exploration of the 40th parallel 1867-78 resulted in his classic volume Systematic Geology 1878. He is credited with introducing the use of contour lines on maps to indicate topographic features. He was instrumental in forming the US Geological Survey and was its first head 1879-81. He collected a series of Atlantic Monthly articles in Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada 1872.

He was born in Newport, Rhode Island. After graduating from Yale in 1862, he crossed the USA on horseback and worked with the California Geological Survey 1863-66. He led a survey of territory from eastern Colorado to California 1866-67. He worked as a mining engineer 1881-93.