gregol mendel
James Hutton, a Scottish geologist, was a key figure in the development of uniformitarianism in the 18th century. His work emphasized the idea that geological processes observed in the present could explain past geological events, challenging the prevailing belief in catastrophism. Hutton's theories laid the foundation for modern geology.
Materialistic evolution is the idea that all living organisms have evolved through natural selection and genetic mutation, without the need for any supernatural or divine intervention. It focuses on the purely physical processes that drive evolution, such as genetic variation and environmental pressures.
The idea that the processes that formed the Earth have taken more than thousands of years instead of quickly is known as the principle of uniformitarianism. This principle suggests that geological processes occurring today have operated similarly over long periods of time to shape the Earth's surface.
Some notable contributors in the field of earth science include James Hutton, known as the father of modern geology for his work on the concept of deep time; Marie Tharp, a geologist who mapped the ocean floor and helped support the theory of plate tectonics; and Charles Lyell, a geologist who popularized the idea of uniformitarianism and greatly influenced the work of Charles Darwin.
The role of a geologist varies not only with his area of specialization (there are numerous) but also experience earned on the job and the occupational specialties as described by the company for which he works. In general and traditionally, the geologist has been responsible for the exploration and delineation of the petroleum reservoir. Historically in the field the geologist would find and sample potential source rock and potential reservoir rock. He would map potential structures that could be petroleum traps and define where best to drill. Today, the lines are more blurred. The geologist can still be responsible for collecting rock samples in the field, but this might also be carried out by another geologist in a core lab examining core samples from another well whose samples correlate with the new area of interest. The gross surface structure of an area might be mapped by a geologist in the field but more likely it will be done by a geologist specializing in remote sensing looking at satellite imagery or aerial photos. A geologist specializing in basin analysis might chime in with information on the timing of the source rock and reservoir rock structure giving information on whether the source rock reached maturity before or after the potential traps were formed. A structural geologist might be consulted to advise on the potential for fractures in the area that might serve as migration pathways or potential porosity in the reservoir rock. Another geologist, a petrophysicist might examine the cores to determine the reservoir properties of the rock and correlate them to seismic properties. These would in turn give information to the geologist/geophysicist doing seismic interpretation of the area. Still another geologist specializing in well log analysis (also a potential petrophysicist) might correlate well logs from wells drilled in the general or regional area to determine the underlying sedimentary environment and facies distribution. He might consult a specialist in seismic stratigraphy or sedimentary petrology, both geologists for additional input. From this information a geologist would work up a volumetrics analysis to determine the potential recoverable oil present in the unproven reservoir. Another geologist might work up a risk analysis on the the potential reservoir to help determine if the prospect is worth drilling. Once the decision has been made, and drilling commences, a well site geologist would be responsible for monitoring the drillng progress and identifying potential hydrocarbon bearing zones from drill cuttings and mud returns. Another geologist would be responsible for mud logging. Once the well is complete, the well site geologist for the company drilling, would stipulate the zones to be logged by the service company. The service company logging engineer would recommend a log suite to be run. The company well site geologist would provide oversight and quality control on the log run and the data. A decision on whether to or how to complete the well and what intervals to perforate would be made. This data would be provided back to the geologists in the office to assess the results and if possible develop a reservoir model. If enough wells are present in the area a detailed reservoir model can be constructed from the logs and seismic data. If this is a wildcat or new field well the team might keep control or a reservoir or development geologist might be brought in to facilitate infill drilling to completely exploit the new found reservoir. The development or reservoir geologist might work closely with the reservoir engineer to plan out how to most efficiently exploit the reservoir. In some instances, like a small company, one geologist would fill nearly all the roles himself. In larger companies with more compartmentalization the roles might be carried out by separate individuals within the larger organization. I am sure I have overlooked something, but this will give you an idea of the many roles a geologist plays in finding petroleum.
Charles Darwin and he was rather insistent about the process of evolution being gradual and incremental. He and Thomas Huxley argued about this point often. Today we know that evolution has different speeds depending on organism and environment, but there is no " hopeful monster " jump in evolutionary processes.
The theory of evolution by natural selection. Called gradualism.
Jeremy Bentham formulated it.
Gradualism was key to the early iterations of evolutionary theory, as proposed by Charles Darwin. Darwin's belief was that evolution was a uniformly gradual process, and that the fossil record would reflect this. Of course, it turned out that evolution is not a uniformly gradual process, but that the rates at which morphologies change can vary enormously, giving rise to punctuated equilibria: long periods of relatively slow change punctuated by short periods of rapid change.It should be noted that although gradualism has been rejected, evolution is still a gradual process, any significant change in morphologies usually taking at least thousands of generations to manifest (although there is no natural law preventing morphological divergence to occur even more rapidly).
The concept of gradualism. Also called uniformtarianism.
Gradualism and catastrophism are key terms in geology. Gradualism is the view that profound changes occurred as the cumulative product of slow but continuous processes, while catastrophism is the idea that the Earth underwent abrupt and violent events.
The theory that proposes evolution occurs steadily in tiny changes over long periods of time is gradualism. This idea suggests that species evolve slowly and continuously through small, incremental changes rather than through sudden, dramatic shifts.
Gradualism and catastrophism are key terms in geology. Gradualism is the view that profound changes occurred as the cumulative product of slow but continuous processes, while catastrophism is the idea that the Earth underwent abrupt and violent events.
Gradualism is the theory that evolutionary change occurs slowly and steadily over time through small, incremental changes in populations. It suggests that large evolutionary transitions are the result of many small changes accumulating over long periods of time. This contrasts with the idea of punctuated equilibrium, which proposes that evolution happens rapidly in short bursts followed by long periods of stasis.
The punctuated equilibrium model of evolution suggests that evolution occurs in rapid bursts of change separated by long periods of stability. This model emphasizes the idea that species evolve quickly in response to environmental changes, leading to abrupt shifts in their characteristics over relatively short periods of time.
Before Darwin proposed his Theory of Evolution, it was widely believed that the Earth was only 6,000 years old. Geologists noticed that the Earth changed gradually over time (tectonic plates shifting to create volcanoes, mountains, etc) in order for such changes to create the Earth known at that time, it would have to be building up such changes over millions of years, thus creating the idea of Earth's immense age which allowed for evolution to create the diverse species known today. This theory of gradualism (as it was called) was adapted into Darwin's theory to apply to the species and their gradual changes.
Gradualism is when a change takes place over time. Punctuated equilibrium is when nothing changes for a very long time, then suddenly something new appears, after which another long period of no change occurs.