Difference between revisions of "1. ID James Hutton and define Uniformitariansim"
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[[Return to History 8]] | [[Return to History 8]] | ||
| + | James Hutton, the father of modern geology, theorized the theory of Uniformitarianism. James Hutton was born in 1726 in Edinburgh, Scotland. | ||
| + | Hutton attended the universities of Edinburgh, Paris, and Leiden, in the Netherlands, where he studied medicine and chemistry. After his formal Schooling, Hutton worked on two family farms for fourteen years. He was a great natural observer and noticed the hills and wondered how they came into existence. Because of his curiosity, he started to believe that everything changes slowly and continuously and that these changes have been taking place for a very long time. He called this idea the theory of Uniformitarianism. One way to summarize this previously radical theory is with a quote from James Hutton himself, "The present is the key to the past." | ||
| − | + | Uniformitarianism is the theory that all geological changes occur slowly and steadily. The theory of Uniformitarianism also states that this process that is happening in the present has been happening and will continue to happen as long as the Earth is in existence. | |
| + | One example of Uniformitarianism at work is Siccar Point, which has been renamed the Hutton inconformity. At Siccar point, two totally different types of rocks occurred on top of each other, red sandstone, and gray shale. Hutton believed that the formation of this rock was due to great forces exerted over a long period of time. | ||
Sources: | Sources: | ||
| + | James Hutton: The Founder of Modern Geology | ||
| + | by Edmond A. Mathez | ||
| + | http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/rfl/web/essaybooks/earth/p_hutton.html | ||
Revision as of 18:59, 29 August 2013
James Hutton, the father of modern geology, theorized the theory of Uniformitarianism. James Hutton was born in 1726 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Hutton attended the universities of Edinburgh, Paris, and Leiden, in the Netherlands, where he studied medicine and chemistry. After his formal Schooling, Hutton worked on two family farms for fourteen years. He was a great natural observer and noticed the hills and wondered how they came into existence. Because of his curiosity, he started to believe that everything changes slowly and continuously and that these changes have been taking place for a very long time. He called this idea the theory of Uniformitarianism. One way to summarize this previously radical theory is with a quote from James Hutton himself, "The present is the key to the past."
Uniformitarianism is the theory that all geological changes occur slowly and steadily. The theory of Uniformitarianism also states that this process that is happening in the present has been happening and will continue to happen as long as the Earth is in existence.
One example of Uniformitarianism at work is Siccar Point, which has been renamed the Hutton inconformity. At Siccar point, two totally different types of rocks occurred on top of each other, red sandstone, and gray shale. Hutton believed that the formation of this rock was due to great forces exerted over a long period of time.
Sources: James Hutton: The Founder of Modern Geology by Edmond A. Mathez http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/rfl/web/essaybooks/earth/p_hutton.html
