What is uniformitarianism in scientific terms?

Uniformitarianism is a fundamental principle in geology and other sciences that posits that the processes that shape the Earth’s features today are consistent with those that occurred in the past. This principle is typically summarized by the phrase "the present is the key to the past." It indicates that by observing current geological and environmental processes, scientists can infer how similar processes contributed to the formation of Earth's geological features over vast timescales.

This understanding allows scientists to build theories about the Earth's history and makes it possible to study changes in the environment and understand natural events that occurred millions of years ago based on current observations. For instance, the way rivers erode land, volcanoes erupt, or sediments are deposited today can be applied to interpret the geological record of the past.

Thus, the assertion that processes shaping the world continue to operate aligns perfectly with the concept of uniformitarianism, demonstrating how ongoing processes can help illuminate and provide context for historical events.