The age of the Earth and the invention of geological time
Abstract
During Charles Lyell's lifetime the concept of geological time was gradually rendered meaningful through the construction of a heuristic geological timescale, the development of quantitative methods to calculate the duration of that scale, and the acceptance of a quantitatively determinable limit to the age of the Earth. This paper describes a few episodes in the process of 'inventing' the concept of geological time, episodes chosen primarily for their relevance to the work of Lyell.
- Publication:
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Geological Society of London Special Publications
- Pub Date:
- January 1998
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 1998GSLSP.143..137B