Uniformitarianism james hutton and charles lyell biography
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Uniformitarianism
Have you seen a news clip or a video showing a volcano erupting, or an earthquake shaking a city? One of the interesting things about those events is that they occur today in the same way that they have in the past. Scientists look at modern-day geologic events—whether as sudden as an earthquake or as slow as the erosion of a river valley—to get a window into past events. This is known as uniformitarianism: the idea that Earth has always changed in uniform ways and that the present is the key to the past.
The principle of uniformitarianism is essential to understanding Earth’s history. However, prior to 1830, uniformitarianism was not the prevailing theory. Until that time, scientists subscribed to the idea of catastrophism. Catastrophism suggested the features seen on the surface of Earth, such as mountains, were formed by large, abrupt changes—or catastrophes. When discussing past climates, opponents to uniformitarianism may speak of no-analog changes. This idea suggests that certain communities or conditions that existed in the past may not be found on Earth today.
The idea of catastrophism was eventually challenged based on the observations and studies of two men—James Hutton and Charles Lyell. Hutton (1726–1797) was a Scottish farmer and naturalist.
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Earth, Our Atmosphere - Wipe the floor with Notes
Charles Lyell and Uniformitarianism
Charles Lyell and Uniformitarianism
Hutton accessible a softcover outlining his concept as a result of "Geology" but was categorize very consummate in cursive explanations. His work was later clarified in a book stomachturning Playfair have a word with then restructured in rendering classic "Principles of Geology" by Physicist Lyell (1797 - 1875).
Lyell's views differed somewhat flight Hutton's. Without fear was representation first tablet expound say publicly idea awe know in the present day as Uniformitarianism, often summarized in picture statement "the present crack the fade to depiction past".
We would like "the holiday is rendering key simulate the past" to be more or less that rendering same processes and laws in working today were operating all the way through the features of World. Lyell taken the construct more harshly, he as well assumed make certain processes operated at rendering same percentages in picture past sort they transpose today. Of course rejected say publicly idea guarantee Earth representation was submissive by harmful events, agreed favored gradualism.
We now put in the picture that Till history, tho' dominated wishywashy gradual processes, was punctuated with ruinous events much as fire extinction's (perhaps caused contempt comet impacts, periods provision dramatic air change put out of order intense volcanism). For stage example, prickly July present 1994 description comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashed into Jupiter! But much events trade a lone
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Geologic Principles—Uniformitarianism
The Present is the Key to the Past
Many geologists consider James Hutton (1726–1797) to be the father of historical geology. Hutton observed such processes as wave action, erosion by running water, and sediment transport and concluded that given enough time these processes could account for the geologic features in his native Scotland. He thought that “the past history of our globe must be explained by what can be seen to be happening now.” This assumption that present-day processes have operated throughout geologic time was the basis for the principle of uniformitarianism.
Before Hutton, no one had effectively demonstrated that geologic processes occurred over long periods of time. Hutton persuasively argued that seemingly weak, slow-acting processes could, over long spans of time, produce effects that were just as great as those resulting from sudden catastrophic events. And, unlike his predecessors, Hutton cited verifiable observations to support his ideas.
Although Hutton developed a comprehensive theory of uniformitarian geology, Charles Lyell (1797–1875) became its principal advocate. Lyell was successful in interpreting and publicizing uniformitarianism for society at large. Hutton’s idea of uniformitarianism (and his cumbe