Charles Lyell

Joseph Hooker, Charles Darwin and Charles Lyell

Two Sides

During the Golden Age of Geology, when uniformitarianism and catastrophism were common, the two groups insisted upon arguing over the true facts of creation. Opposing his teacher, William Buckland, a catastrophist, who tried to tie catastrophism with biblical accounts of creation, Lyell set out to find a way to make geology a science of its own.

William Buckland, theologian

Uniformitarianism

Uniformitarianists believe that all changes in the Earth's crust have resulted from continuous and uniform changes (think flooding, cooling magma, and erosion).

Charles Lyell

Catastrophism

Catastrophists believe that changes in the Earth's crust have resulted from sudden and violent changes in the Earth's enviroment.

Bibliography

and the Principles of Geology

Small Beginnings

• Simmons, Jack, The Scientific 100. New York, NY: Citadel Press, 1996
• Macomber, Richard W., "Sir Charles Lyell, Baronet." www.britannica.com. ( John P. Rafferty, Feb. 15, 2007). Aug. 11, 2016. <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sir-Charles-Lyell-Baronet>
• "Charles Lyell," www.famousscientists.org, 2016, Sep. 12, 2016 <http://www.famousscientists.org/charles-lyell/>
• Cohen, Claudine, "Charles Lyell and the Evidences of the Antiquity of Man," scientific downloads; archives <http://sp.lyellcollection.org/content/143/1/83.full.pdf>
• "Charles Lyell: Principles of Geology", www.pbs.org, by permission of (Cambridge University). Oct. 1, 2016 <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/02/4/l_024_01.html>
• "Uniformitarianism: Charles Lyell," evolution.berkeley.edu (Aug. 22, 2008) Oct. 1, 2016 <http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/copyright.php>

• Sir Charles Lyell was born on November 14, 1797 at his family's manor in Scotland.
• Lyell was the eldest of 10 children
• Lyell's father was an amateur botanist
• Lyell married Mary Horner in 1832

Mary Horner

Education

Lyell attended law school at Oxford University (1816-1819), graduating BA second in classics. However, after only a short time in court, Lyell's weak eyesight forced him to pursue a more suitable career in meteorology and geology.

The Golden Age of Geology

(1780-1840)

Of all the famous scientists whose work occurred during this time period, Lyell was the most prominent. His writings were the most influential and strongly debated on the topic of creation.

Contributions

Quick Fun Fact:

Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin were very close friends!

Though he published many works on the topic of creation throughout his career, Charles Lyell published two texts that have proven to be the most influential texts on this matter ever written.

The Principles of Geology

The first of these, Principles of Geology, was published in 3 volumes from 1830-1833. It presages Charles Darwin's Origin of Species and his theory of evolution. In fact, this is the very book he read while on the HMS Beagle. In this book, Lyell argues that previous changes in the Earth's crust were results of small changes occurring constantly and repeatedly.

The Antiquity of Man

Sir Charles Lyell passed out of this world on February 22, 1875 at the age of 77. He was buried in Westminster Abbey in London, England.

Lyell contributed a lot to the science of geology. His works are widely accepted today, yet scientists still debate the topic of biblical truth in creation today.

Lyell's second most important work, Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man, was published in 1863 and contributed to the founding of the disciplines of prehistoric archaeology and paleoanthropology. It discussed the proof of man's long existence on Earth. Lyell acknowledges both the idea of the antiquity of man and Darwin's theory of evolution in this book; Lyell was one of the first geologists (and people in general) to accept and teach such a controversial theory of creation.

Honors and Recognition

Lyell's Main Belief:

All of the Past Changes on Earth Can Be Detailed by the Forces of Nature Now Present.

Charles Lyell received many awards for his controversial theories and revolutionary discoveries.

• Awarded the Royal Medal in 1844
• Knighted for his achievements in 1848
• Served as a commissioner for the Great Exhibition (1851-1852)
• Awarded the Copley Medal in 1858
• Awarded the Wollaston Medal in 1866
• Inducted as a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1866

Man of Many Hats

Charles Lyell contributed not only in geology but also in the following studies:

• volcanoes
• geological dynamics
• stratigrapy (study of rock l;ayers and sedimentary rocks)
• paleontology (study of fossils)
• glaciology (study of glaciers and their impact on humans)
• prehistoric archaeology (study of the past before written records)
• paleoantropology (study of primate or humanoid fossils)