About This Book
An accessible exposition of Hutton's geological theory sets out observations that surface features arise from repeated cycles of deposition, consolidation, uplift, and erosion. The mineral world is divided into stratified and unstratified bodies, with focused discussion of strata materials, how they become solid, and their orientations, using fossil-rich calcareous and other deposits to argue former marine origins. Unstratified masses receive separate treatment, and phenomena common to both classes are marshaled to support a model in which the interplay of aqueous and igneous forces drives continual, recurring transformations over very long timescales.