Charles Lyell Biography

Sir Charles Lyell was a British attorney and premier geologist of the 19th century. He is best remembered as the author of 'Principles of Geology,' which popularized the concept that the Earth was shaped by geological processes that continue today. He was introduced to science, particularly geology by his father who was a naturalist. He moved to London to become a barrister, or a lawyer specializing in higher court litigation, although his poor eyesight made it impossible. This prompted him to start his career in science. He was one of the first scientists to believe the Earth is older than 300 million years, and his scientific contributions contributed to the world's understanding of volcanoes, earthquakes, and geology. His version of geology was eventually called ‘uniformitarianism’ due to his insistence that processes that change the planet are uniform throughout time. He created a lens through which to view Earth's history, establishing that the forces that shape the planet have remained the same throughout time. Lyell was also a close friend of Charles Darwin and contributed to Darwin's thinking on evolution. His work, 'Principles of Geology', influenced Darwin so deeply that he imagined evolution as a type of biological uniformitarianism. To know more about the life and works of this eminent geologist read on