Uniformitarianism is also known as what?

• A. Catastrophism
• B. The belief that forces seen today have changed over time
• C. Evolution
• D. Gradualism

Answer: (D)

Uniformitarianism says the same natural forces we observe today—like weathering, erosion, and sedimentation—have operated in the same way throughout Earth's history, typically over long timescales. Because of that continuity, slow, steady changes accumulate to shape landscapes. This idea is why it’s also called gradualism: change happens gradually, not through sudden bursts. It stands in contrast to catastrophism, which attributes major landscape features to sudden, violent events. The belief that forces seen today have changed over time would contradict uniformitarianism, and evolution is about biological change, not geological processes. So the term that matches this concept is gradualism.