Sir Charles Lyell (geologist)

Sir Charles Lyell was a pioneering geologist in the 19th century who advanced the idea that Earth's features formed gradually over long periods through natural processes like erosion and sedimentation. His influential work, "Principles of Geology," popularized the concept of uniformitarianism—the idea that the same natural laws and processes we observe today have always operated. This challenged earlier beliefs in sudden, catastrophic events shaping the planet. Lyell's ideas helped establish a scientific understanding of Earth's deep history and influenced many, including Charles Darwin, in developing theories about evolution and Earth's age.