Charles Lyell

[rickymooston]

Present is the key to past.

The man who founded modern geology and influenced Darwin.

UniformitarianismFrom 1830 to 1833 his multi-volume Principles of Geology was published. The work's subtitle was "An attempt to explain the former changes of the Earth's surface by reference to causes now in operation", and this explains Lyell's impact on science. He drew his explanations from field studies conducted directly before he went to work on the founding geology text.[3] He was, along with the earlier John Playfair, the major advocate of James Hutton's idea of uniformitarianism, that the earth was shaped entirely by slow-moving forces still in operation today, acting over a very long period of time. This was in contrast to catastrophism, a geologic idea of abrupt changes, which had been adapted in England to support belief in Noah's flood. Lyell saw himself as "the spiritual saviour of geology, freeing the science from the old dispensation of Moses."[11] The two terms, uniformitarianism and catastrophism, were both coined by William Whewell;[12] in 1866 R. Grove suggested the simpler term continuity for Lyells's view, but the old terms persisted. In various revised editions (12 in all, through 1872), Principles of Geology was the most influential geological work in the middle of the 19th century, and did much to put geology on a modern footing. For his efforts he was knighted in 1848, then made a baronet in 1864.

[edit] Geological SurveysLyell noted the ?economic advantages? that geological surveys could provide, citing their felicity in mineral-rich countries and provinces. Modern surveys, like the U.S. Geological Survey, map and exhibit the natural resources within the country. So, in endorsing surveys, as well as advancing the study of geology, Lyell helped to forward the business of modern extractive industries, such as the coal and oil industry.

[edit] Volcanoes and geological dynamics
Sir Charles Lyell, 1st Baronet, Kt FRS (14 November 1797 ? 22 February 1875) was a British lawyer and the foremost geologist of his day. He is best known as the author of Principles of Geology, which popularised James Hutton's concepts of uniformitarianism ? the idea that the earth was shaped by slow-moving forces still in operation today. Lyell was a close and influential friend of Charles Darwin.

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An aerial photo of VesuviusBefore the work of Lyell, phenomena such as earthquakes were understood by the destruction that they wrought. One of the contributions that Lyell made in Principles was to explain the cause of earthquakes.[13] Lyell, in contrast focused on recent earthquakes (150 yrs), evidenced by surface irregularities such as faults, fissures, stratigraphic displacements and depressions.[13]
Lyell's work on volcanoes focused largely on Vesuvius and Etna, both of which he had earlier studied. His conclusions supported gradual building of volcanoes, so-called "backed up-building",[2] as opposed to the upheaval argument supported by other geologists

http://www.youtube.com/user/wazooloo#p/c/11166601CA0FB279/1/atXl6XTwNPA <--- Creationist view of him, a man out to disprove the bible.