The age of the Earth and the invention of geological time
Joe D. Burchfield
Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 143, 137-143, 1 January 1998, https://doi.org/10.1144/GSL.SP.1998.143.01.12
Joe D. Burchfield
Department of History, Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115, USA

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.
- © The Geological Society 1998
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The age of the Earth and the invention of geological time
Joe D. Burchfield
Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 143, 137-143, 1 January 1998, https://doi.org/10.1144/GSL.SP.1998.143.01.12
Joe D. Burchfield
Department of History, Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115, USA
The age of the Earth and the invention of geological time
Joe D. Burchfield
Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 143, 137-143, 1 January 1998, https://doi.org/10.1144/GSL.SP.1998.143.01.12
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