Charles Lyell

                                         Charles Lyell 

Born near Kirriemuir in Scotland in 1797 Charles Lyell was an eminent geologist who greatly developed the science of geology during the course of the nineteenth century. Through his writings including his multi-volume the book ‘Principles of Geology’ published from 1830 to 1833 Lyell advanced the ideas of James Hutton, the Scottish scientist from the 1790’s who believed that the earth was transformed gradually over immense time periods. Lyell’s travels through Europe convinced him that Hutton had been correct and that the changes seen on the earth’s surface were produced by uniform forces through long periods of time. His theories were given the name ‘uniformitarianism’ because of the uniform processes that cause changes to the earth’s surface over prolonged periods of time. Lyell’s theories greatly changed the science of geology and influenced many other scientists in particular that of his friend Charles Darwin.