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that are at work today, the product of slow and continuous geological changes. The theory can be summarized by the phrase "the present is the key to the past." Hutton also described the concept of deep time. The prevailing conceptualization of Earth history in 18th-century Europe, grounded in a
184:
Historical geology covers much of the same subject matter as physical geology, the study of geological processes and the ways in which they shape the Earth's structure and composition. Historical geology extends physical geology into the past.
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are organic traces of Earth's history. In a historical geology context, paleontological methods can be used to study fossils and their environments, including surrounding rocks, and place them within the geologic time scale.
294:, including limestone, sandstone, and shale, serve as a record of Earth's history: they contain fossils and are transformed by geological processes, such as weathering, erosion, and deposition, through deep time.
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further developed the theory of uniformitarianism in the 19th century. Modern geologists have generally acknowledged that Earth's geological history is a product of both sudden, cataclysmic events (such as
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1159:
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Historical geology makes use of relative dating in order to establish the sequence of geological events in relation to each another, without determining their specific numerical ages or ranges.
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Absolute dating allows geologists to determine a more precise chronology of geological events, based on numerical ages or ranges. Absolute dating includes the use of
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was the first to observe and propose a number of basic principles of historical geology, including three key stratigraphic principles: the
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Theory of the Earth; or an
Investigation of the Laws Observable in the Composition, Dissolution, and Restoration of Land upon the Globe
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49:. Historical geology examines the vastness of geologic time, measured in billions of years, and investigates changes in the
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are examples of gradual geological processes, taking place over large sections of the geologic time scale. In the
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Geology is considered a historical science; accordingly, historical geology plays a prominent role in the field.
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of Earth's history. Stratigraphy is the study of strata: their order, position, and age.
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events. Hutton, however, depicted a very old Earth, shaped by slow, continuous change.
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Sedimentology is the study of the formation, transport, deposition, and diagenesis of
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1000:(11th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 20–21.
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1113:"Geological reasoning: Geology as an interpretive and historical science"
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933:(11th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. p. 4.
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plates has structured the Earth throughout its geological history.
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1044:(11th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. p. 20.
978:(11th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. p. 17.
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1212:(11th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. p. 9.
957:(11th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. p. 8.
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to tell the sequence of these events. It also focuses on the
50:
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techniques in the 20th century provided a means of deriving
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10.1130/0016-7606(1995)107<0960:GRGAAI>2.3.CO;2
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is the study of past climates recorded in geological time.
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The theory of plate tectonics explains how the movement of
215:, must rely on a detailed knowledge of geological history.
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82:
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1251:| Lecture notes for course at the University of Maryland
41:
is a discipline that uses the principles and methods of
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1091:"Geological Time | Digital Atlas of Ancient Life"
1022:"Geological Time | Digital Atlas of Ancient Life"
1735:
165:in the late 19th century and the development of
1070:Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
57:. It focuses on geological processes, such as
1270:
120:contributed to an early understanding of the
256:Structural geology is concerned with rocks'
411:
1277:
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1208:Levin, Harold L.; King, David T. (2017).
1040:Levin, Harold L.; King, David T. (2017).
996:Levin, Harold L.; King, David T. (2017).
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974:Levin, Harold L.; King, David T. (2017).
953:Levin, Harold L.; King, David T. (2017).
929:Levin, Harold L.; King, David T. (2017).
928:
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16:Study of the geological history of Earth
173:ages of events in geological history.
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350:are other methods of absolute dating.
141:, was that of a young Earth shaped by
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176:
85:during different time periods in the
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366:Weathering, erosion, and deposition
191:, the search for and extraction of
107:principle of original horizontality
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53:, gradual and sudden, over this
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1110:Frodeman, Robert (1995-08-01).
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111:principle of lateral continuity
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1348:Geological history of Earth
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1249:GEOL 102 Historical Geology
124:by proposing the theory of
47:geological history of Earth
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1321:
1074:Royal Society of Edinburgh
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137:literal interpretation of
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1362:Composition and structure
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1315:Index of geology articles
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97:During the 17th century,
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412:Brief geological history
19:Not to be confused with
1238:Encyclopedia Britannica
1234:Geology – Earth history
116:18th-century geologist
1210:The Earth Through Time
1189:Geosciences LibreTexts
1185:"7.2: Absolute Dating"
1164:Geosciences LibreTexts
1160:"7.1: Relative Dating"
1042:The Earth Through Time
998:The Earth Through Time
976:The Earth Through Time
955:The Earth Through Time
931:The Earth Through Time
332:potassium–argon dating
93:Historical development
31:
1611:Environmental geology
201:Environmental geology
29:
1570:Planetary geophysics
103:law of superposition
30:Geologic Time Spiral
1672:Petroleum geologist
1636:Forensic geophysics
1606:Engineering geology
1353:Timeline of geology
1305:Glossary of geology
1130:1995GSAB..107..960F
418:Geologic time scale
340:Luminescence dating
336:uranium–lead dating
234:Layers of rock, or
139:Christian scripture
132:formed by the same
87:geologic time scale
45:to reconstruct the
1744:Historical geology
1698:Geology portal
1626:Geologic modelling
1565:Geophysical survey
1517:Geodetic astronomy
1443:Structural geology
1404:Historical geology
1335:History of geology
1310:History of geology
1300:Outline of geology
1243:Historical Geology
1080:(Part 2): 209–304.
328:radiocarbon dating
324:radiometric dating
252:Structural geology
246:Structural geology
177:Use and importance
167:radiometric dating
156:volcanic eruptions
67:structural geology
35:Historical geology
32:
21:History of geology
1731:
1730:
1616:Planetary geology
1532:Planetary geodesy
1245:| OpenGeology.org
1218:978-1-119-22834-9
1050:978-1-119-22834-9
1007:978-1-119-22834-9
984:978-1-119-22834-9
963:978-1-119-22834-9
940:978-1-119-22834-9
910:
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348:amino acid dating
326:methods, such as
292:Sedimentary rocks
163:radioactive decay
161:The discovery of
152:meteorite impacts
134:natural phenomena
126:uniformitarianism
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1631:Forensic geology
1601:Economic geology
1527:Gravity of Earth
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558:Early Cretaceous
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344:dendrochronology
189:Economic geology
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312:Absolute dating
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686:419.2 ± 3.2*
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674:358.9 ± 0.4*
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670:Mississippian
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664:323.2 ± 0.4*
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660:Pennsylvanian
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655:Carboniferous
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649:298.9 ± 0.2*
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632:252.2 ± 0.5*
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39:palaeogeology
36:
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1589:Applications
1560:Geomagnetism
1484:Hydrogeology
1417:Paleontology
1412:Stratigraphy
1403:
1379:Geochemistry
1237:
1209:
1204:
1193:. Retrieved
1191:. 2019-11-04
1188:
1179:
1168:. Retrieved
1166:. 2019-11-04
1163:
1154:
1121:
1118:GSA Bulletin
1117:
1105:
1094:. Retrieved
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1025:. Retrieved
1016:
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954:
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880:Paleoarchean
577:163.5 ± 1.0
404:
369:
360:lithospheric
357:
321:
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285:
273:
270:Paleontology
264:Paleontology
255:
233:
230:Stratigraphy
224:Stratigraphy
187:
183:
180:
160:
143:catastrophic
118:James Hutton
115:
96:
71:paleontology
63:stratigraphy
38:
34:
33:
1660:Occupations
1641:Meteoritics
1507:Cartography
1463:Volcanology
1448:Geodynamics
870:Mesoarchean
743:Precambrian
728:Proterozoic
468:Pleistocene
443:Phanerozoic
391:metamorphic
387:sedimentary
260:histories.
209:earthquakes
1621:Geobiology
1596:Biogeology
1575:Seismology
1552:Geophysics
1479:Glaciology
1384:Mineralogy
1195:2021-04-23
1170:2021-04-23
1096:2021-04-25
1027:2021-04-18
858:Neoarchean
813:Statherian
753:Cryogenian
704:Ordovician
543:Cretaceous
453:Quaternary
383:rock cycle
379:deposition
371:Weathering
109:, and the
1667:Geologist
1522:Geomatics
1389:Petrology
1293:Overviews
1146:0016-7606
1064:(1788). "
890:Eoarchean
823:Orosirian
798:Calymmian
738:Ediacaran
638:Paleozoic
562:c. 145.0
528:Paleocene
508:Oligocene
503:Paleogene
288:sediments
213:volcanism
79:evolution
55:deep time
1738:Category
843:Siderian
833:Rhyacian
788:Ectasian
747:c. 635*
716:Cambrian
692:Silurian
680:Devonian
612:c. 235*
603:Triassic
568:Jurassic
538:Mesozoic
497:23.030*
483:Pliocene
458:Holocene
448:Cenozoic
207:such as
171:absolute
1722:Geology
1710:Geology
1499:Geodesy
1286:Geology
1126:Bibcode
853:Archean
778:Stenian
643:Permian
552:100.5*
493:Miocene
487:5.333*
478:Neogene
462:0.0117
434:Epochs
431:Period
395:igneous
375:erosion
275:Fossils
219:Methods
43:geology
1216:
1144:
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1004:
982:
961:
937:
900:Hadean
763:Tonian
622:247.2
532:66.0*
522:56.0*
518:Eocene
512:33.9*
472:2.558
437:Start
393:, and
377:, and
346:, and
334:, and
236:strata
105:, the
73:, and
1472:Water
913:Notes
906:4567
894:4000
884:3600
874:3200
864:2800
847:2500
837:2300
827:2050
817:1800
802:1600
792:1400
782:1200
767:1000
130:Earth
51:Earth
1214:ISBN
1142:ISSN
1046:ISBN
1002:ISBN
980:ISBN
959:ISBN
935:ISBN
757:850
428:Era
425:Eon
211:and
195:and
193:fuel
154:and
83:life
1134:doi
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