Answer:
Before uniformitarianism, the theory that was widely accepted was 3.) Catastrophism.
Catastrophism was a geological theory that proposed that Earth's geological features and changes were primarily caused by catastrophic events such as floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. This theory suggested that these sudden and violent events were responsible for shaping the Earth's landscape over short periods of time.
Catastrophism was popularized by scientists like Georges Cuvier in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Cuvier studied fossils and proposed that they were evidence of past catastrophic events that caused the extinction of species. This idea gained widespread acceptance in the scientific community during that time.
However, in the early 19th century, Scottish geologist James Hutton introduced the concept of uniformitarianism. This theory proposed that geological processes occurring today, such as erosion and deposition, have been operating throughout Earth's history at relatively constant rates. It suggested that the slow and gradual processes observed today were sufficient to explain the Earth's geological features and changes over long periods of time.
Uniformitarianism eventually gained more support and became the prevailing theory in geology. It provided a more comprehensive and scientific explanation for Earth's geological history, considering both gradual and catastrophic processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
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