Édouard-Alfred Martel

Édouard-Alfred Martel (French pronunciation: [edwaʁalfʁɛd maʁtɛl]; 1 July 1859 – 3 June 1938) was a French lawyer who was a world pioneer of cave exploration, study, and documentation, hence becoming known as the "father of modern speleology". Martel explored thousands of caves in his native France and many other countries, popularised the pursuit of cave exploration, introduced the concept of speleology as a distinct area of scientific study, maintained an extensive archive, and in 1895 founded the Société de Spéléologie, the first organisation devoted to cave science in the world.