The Principle of Uniformitarianism

The principle of uniformitarianism states that the natural processes shaping the Earth's surface, such as erosion, sedimentation, and volcanic activity, operate in the same way today as they did in the past. This means that by studying current processes, we can understand how ancient landscapes and geological features formed. Essentially, the Earth's history has been shaped by consistent, observable forces over long periods, allowing scientists to interpret past events based on present-day evidence. This principle is fundamental in geology because it helps to reconstruct Earth's history reliably through observable natural processes.