Theory of the Earth

Theory of the Earth was a publication by James Hutton which laid the foundations for geology. In it he showed that the Earth is the product of natural forces. What could be seen happening today, over long periods of time, could produce what we see in the rocks. This idea, uniformitarianism, was a major step in the History of the geologic time scale. It was used by Charles Lyell in his work, and Lyell's textbook was an important influence on Charles Darwin.
Hutton recognized that rocks record the evidence of the past action of processes which still operate today. He also anticipated natural selection, as follows:
Hutton's prose hindered his theories. John Playfair in 1802 restated of Huttton's geological ideas in clearer English. However, he left out Hutton's thoughts on evolution. Charles Lyell in the 1830s popularised the idea of an infinitely repeating cycle (of the erosion of rocks and the building up of sediment). Lyell believed in gradual change, and thought even Hutton gave too much credit to catastrophic changes.
Hutton's work was published in different forms and stages: