Ernest de Koven Leffingwell

Who was Ernest de Koven Leffingwell?

Ernest de Koven Leffingwell was an arctic explorer, geologist and Spanish-American War veteran.

During the period from 1906 to 1914, Leffingwell spent 9 summers and 6 winters on the Arctic coast of Alaska, making 31 trips by dog sled and/or small boats. He created the first accurate map of a large part of the Alaskan arctic coastline. He was the first to scientifically describe permafrost and to pose theories about permafrost which have largely proven true. He accurately identified the oil potential of the North Slope region of Alaska.