Charles Lyell
Lyell, Charles
Charles Lyell (1797–1875), a British geologist noted for establishing the principles of uniformitarianism, the idea that features of the Earth's surface were produced by natural forces operating for long times (1830s). Prior to Lyell, most scientists were catastrophists, meaning they believed that changes in geological features were due to rapid forces, namely natural catastrophes. This belief was in close accordance with accounts of the Earth's history recorded in the Bible, meaning the Bible and science were still treated as harmonious. Lyell, however, argued that geological changes occurred only after long periods of time and were caused by very slow-moving forces. Uniformitarianism was embraced by those who also supported the theory of evolution because evolutionary processes also occurred over very long time scales. Lyell supported Charles Darwin's theories of evolution.
