Geological Time Scale PART -1 in English John Murray James Hutton Stratigraphy
Geological time scale part 1. James Hutton. Similarly, in the science of geology, we have
geological time scale. All the events taking place since the origin of the earth are kept
in this geological time scale. The concept, the present is the key to the past. Present
is the key to the past. It is proposed by James Hutton, who was a Scottish geologist,
who was a Scottish geologist, physician, chemical manufacturer, naturalist. He is also known
as the father of geology. According to him, the earth was much harder and that processes
occurring in the present were the same processes that had operated in the past and would be
the processes that operate in the future. This concept, in particular, helped in resolving
many critical problems of earth science. To name few examples, first one is the thick
file of rock salt strata occurring on land where we live was at one time in the past
was under the washing floor. The oceans drifted elsewhere from the present place. And next
one another example, the fossils. The fossils fuel coal. Coal comes from giant plants that
lived hundreds of millions of years ago. Swamp forests, even before the dinosaurs. When these
giant plants and swamps died because of volcanic activity and melting of huge ice capes, they
formed layers at the bottom of the swamps. Water and dirt began to pile up on top of
the dead plant remains. Hence, it is understood that the present coal occurring areas were
at one time in the geological past were dense forests. James Hutton mentioned the importance
of the concept present key is to past in his book named Theory of the Earth.
Next one, John Murray. The scientific study of the litho or rock formations and their
order of superposition is called stratigraphy. The concept of order of superposition says
the rocks at lower levels are formed earlier than the rocks at upper levels when structurally
not disturbed. The study of fossils in the rock is called paleontology. The detailed
study of fossils occurring in the rock strata will help in establishing the stratigraphic
details of rock formations of an area more accurately. Based on the study of rock strata,
John Murray calculated the age of the earth as 176 × 3 equal to 528 million years.
Next one, Italian scientist Leonardo da Vinci opined that the fossils occurring in the rock
strata now were alive millions of years ago. Another Italian scientist, Nicola Steno had
disagreed with many who believed in formations of the fossils as the devil's work. According
to him, the fossils are nothing but the mortal remains of the living beings once lived on
this earth's surface. Based on the fossils found in the canal cuttings, English scientist
opined the study of fossils will help in understanding the evolution of the earth. Based on the study
of rock strata and their superposition study of fossils, paleontologists like Carbon 14
and dating based on the concept of radioactive decay, study of lead, isotopes etc., the geoscientists
constructed geological timescale for various events took place since the origin of the
earth. During the process of building the geological timescale, the scientific community
overcome several hindrances. Yet family built geological timescale which is acceptable to
many. Though the geological timescale may not be 100% perfect, it provides lot of useful
information about the events happened millions of years ago. Geological timescale is also
being used by geologists, botanists and social scientists too in their respective studies.
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