GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -This is known as uniformitarianism: the idea that Earth has always changed in uniform ways and that the present is the key to the past. The principle of uniformitarianism is essential to understanding Earth’s history.

Detailed explanation-2: -Uniformitarianism is a theory based on the work of James Hutton and made popular by Charles Lyell in the 19th century. This theory states that the forces and processes observable at earth’s surface are the same that have shaped earth’s landscape throughout natural history.

Detailed explanation-3: -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.

Detailed explanation-4: -Coined by William Whewell, it was originally proposed in contrast to catastrophism by British naturalists in the late 18th century, starting with the work of the geologist James Hutton in his many books including Theory of the Earth.

Detailed explanation-5: -Uniformitarianism suggests that the geological features of Earth were created in slow incremental changes such as erosion. In contrast, catastrophism states that the Earth has largely been sculpted by sudden, short-lived, violent events. So, this is the key difference between uniformitarianism and catastrophism.