Final answer:
Uniformitarianism is the geological principle stating that the same processes that operate now have always operated in the Earth's past and are responsible for shaping Earth's geological features. Option B is correct .
Step-by-step explanation:
The principle that suggests all geological processes have occurred in the same manner throughout Earth's history is known as uniformitarianism. This concept was first proposed by James Hutton, a Scottish geologist, and later popularized by Charles Lyell in the 19th century. It contradicts other beliefs such as catastrophism, which posits geological features result from sudden, substantial events. Uniformitarianism states that the slow and continuous processes we observe today, like erosion and sedimentation, are the same ones that shaped Earth's surface in the past. Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is B) Uniformitarianism. This principle suggests that changes in the Earth's surface are the result of slow and consistent processes rather than sudden and catastrophic events. For example, valleys formed by rivers wearing through rock over long periods of time is an example of the gradual change that is consistent with uniformitarianism.