While other geologists before him made important contributions, Hutton's work in the late 18th century revolutionized the field. He proposed the theory of uniformitarianism, which states that the geological processes we see today are the same processes that have been acting throughout Earth's history. This idea was a radical departure from the prevailing view of catastrophism, which attributed Earth's features to sudden, violent events.

Hutton's work laid the foundation for modern geology, and his ideas continue to influence the field today.