While Hutton didn't coin the term "uniformitarianism," his work laid the foundation for this principle. He argued that the Earth's geological features were formed by the same natural processes that are happening today, operating over very long periods of time. This contrasted with the prevailing view at the time, known as catastrophism, which attributed geological formations to sudden, catastrophic events.
However, it's important to note that other scientists, such as John Playfair and Charles Lyell, further developed and popularized the concept of uniformitarianism.
Lyell's book "Principles of Geology" (1830-1833) is considered the definitive work on uniformitarianism, and it played a significant role in shaping modern geological thought.
