Hutton, James   Scottish geologist, chemist and naturalist born in Edinburgh (1726-1797). Hutton is considered to be the father of modern geology. From his geologic observations, Hutton became convinced that the Earth was older than the bible suggested. He also belonged to the uniformitarian school of thought, which held that changes to the Earth’s surface did not happen in sudden catastrophes, but rather occurred slowly, by processes that were continuously in effect. In 1795, he published his ideas in The Theory of the Earth, which was later popularized by John Playfair. For further information see James Hutton.

Used in the following modules: Ideas in Science: Theories, Hypotheses, and Laws, The Rock Cycle