How did James Hutton use soil formation and sediment layers as evidence for geologic change?

James Hutton, a foundational figure in geology, utilized observations of soil formation and sediment layers to argue that the Earth is a dynamic system shaped by ongoing, cyclical processes rather than sudden, supernatural events.123

Hutton observed that soils are created through the weathering of rocks, a process he linked to the broader cycle of land degradation and renewal. He posited that streams erode land surfaces, transporting the resulting debris to the oceans where it accumulates in layers. Over immense periods, these sedimentary rocks are solidified by the Earth's internal heat and pressure, then uplifted by subterranean forces to form new land.314

By identifying these processes—erosion, deposition, and uplift—as the same forces operating in the present, Hutton established the principle of uniformitarianism. He viewed angular unconformities between sedimentary sequences as physical evidence of these repeated, ancient cycles. This framework allowed him to conclude that the Earth’s history is inconceivably long, directly challenging the contemporary belief in a young, static planet.1243