James Hutton was a Scottish geologist, chemist, naturalist, and originator of one of the fundamental principles of geology—uniformitarianism, which explains the features of Earth’s crust by means of natural processes over geologic time.
Who outlined the principle now called uniformitarianism?
James Hutton . Along with Charles Lyell, James Hutton developed the concept of uniformitarianism. He believed Earth’s landscapes like mountains and oceans formed over long period of time through gradual processes.
Who developed the principle of uniformitarianism quizlet?
Founded in 1832 by William Whewell and in 1785 by James Hutton .
How was uniformitarianism discovered?
Lyell found evidence that valleys were formed through the slow process of erosion, not by catastrophic floods. ... Lyell’s version of geology came to be known as uniformitarianism, because of his fierce insistence that the processes that alter the Earth are uniform through time.
Is the principle of uniformitarianism still valid today?
Uniformitarianism is a geological theory that describes the processes shaping the earth and the Universe. It states that changes in the earth’s crust throughout history have resulted from the action of uniform, continuous processes that are still occurring today .
What are 3 examples of uniformitarianism?
Modern View of Uniformitarianism
Good examples are the reshaping of a coastline by a tsunami, deposition of mud by a flooding river , the devastation wrought by a volcanic explosion, or a mass extinction caused by an asteroid impact. The modern view of uniformitarianism incorporates both rates of geologic processes.
What is the difference between uniformitarianism and catastrophism?
Catastrophism is the principle that states that all geologic change occurs suddenly, while uniformitarianism is the principle that the same geologic processes shaping the Earth today have been at work throughout Earth’s history and slowly changing the landscape of the Earth.
Which of the following is the best definition of uniformitarianism?
: a geologic doctrine that processes acting in the same manner as at present and over long spans of time are sufficient to account for all current geological features and all past geological changes — compare catastrophism.
What are the principles of uniformitarianism?
uniformitarianism, in geology, the doctrine suggesting that Earth’s geologic processes acted in the same manner and with essentially the same intensity in the past as they do in the present and that such uniformity is sufficient to account for all geologic change .
What does the principle of uniformitarianism indicate quizlet?
The Principle of Uniformitarianism states that the laws of nature that are in effect today, have been in effect forever . ... The major folds and unconformities seen in rocks could not have been produced in such a short time if the principle of uniformitarianism is applied.
What is the opposite of uniformitarianism?
A geological theory proposing that the earth has been shaped by violent events of great magnitude (e.g., worldwide floods, collisions with asteroids, etc.); the opposite of uniformitarianism (q.v.). From: catastrophism in A Dictionary of Genetics »
Is uniformitarianism a law?
Uniformitarianism, also known as the Doctrine of Uniformity or the Uniformitarian Principle, is the assumption that the same natural laws and processes that operate in our present-day scientific observations have always operated in the universe in the past and apply everywhere in the universe .
Who first said the present is the key to the past?
Charles Lyell’s Principles of Geology was published between 1830-1833, and introduced the famous maxim, ‘the present is the key to the past’.
How does uniformitarianism support evolution?
Uniformitarianism is the principle that we can infer long term trends from those we have observed over a short period. In its stronger sense it claims that processes operating in the present can account , by extrapolation over long periods, for the evolution of the earth and life.
What is Charles Lyell’s theory?
Lyell argued that the formation of Earth’s crust took place through countless small changes occurring over vast periods of time , all according to known natural laws. His “uniformitarian” proposal was that the forces molding the planet today have operated continuously throughout its history.
How is the past the key to the present?
The idea that the same natural laws and processes that operate on Earth today have operated in the past is an assumption many geologists use in order to better understand the geologic past. ... This idea is known as uniformitarianism, also defined as “the present is the key to the past”.
