1. Some brief notes on Charles Lyell to accompany:
Faunal Succession Activity
by Hilary Clement Olson
Geologic Time: Charles Lyell Presentation

2. Oxford degreed, law until 1827, geology 1790s-Industrial revolution
Sir Charles Lyell
Oxford degreed, law until 1827, geology
1790s-Industrial revolution
late 18th C-Scottish Enlightenment
keen observation skills
much influenced by Hutton’s
Theory of the Earth
Don Eicher, 1976, Geologic Time
Geologic Time: Charles Lyell Presentation

3. traveled widely making observations on the geologic record and modern
Charles Lyell
traveled widely making observations
on the geologic record and modern
earth processes
wrote a popular article which defended
James Hutton’s views
published Principles of Geology
(v.1 in 1830 and v.2 in 1832)
Don Eicher, 1976, Geologic Time

4. Charles Lyell
His Principles of Geology utilized all documented observations in support of “the present is the key to the past”, and established uniformitarianism as the accepted philosophy for interpretation of Earth history.
Believed it was necessary to create a vast time scale to explain Earth’s geologic history.
from Don Eicher, 1976, Geologic Time

5. earth’s history can be explained by
Uniformitarianism:
earth’s history can be explained by
observing the geological forces now
at work, because these forces are
identical to the ones that operated in
the past
“the present is the key to the past”
Don Eicher, 1976, Geologic Time

6. Lyell defined the Eocene, Miocene and Pliocene epochs on the basis of
Charles Lyell
Lyell defined the Eocene, Miocene
and Pliocene epochs on the basis of
the relative proportion of the living
and extinct fossils contained in each:
Eocene = 3% living
Miocene = 17% living
Pliocene 50-67% living
Don Eicher, 1976, Geologic Time

7. His just published Principles of Geology
Charles Lyell
His just published Principles of Geology
was one of the books Charles Darwin
took with him on his famous voyage
on The Beagle ( ), and
greatly influenced Darwin’s thinking
during the development of his
theory of evolution.
Don Eicher, 1976, Geologic Time