Who was James Hutton?

James Hutton (1726-1797)

  James Hutton was a Scottish geologist and physician, became famous for two theories on the origin of the Earth. He is called the father of modern geology.
  According to one of Hutton's theories, heat played an important part in the formation of the Earth. Hutton believed that rocks were formed from a molten mass. Most other scientists thought water had once covered the Earth and that rocks were formed when minerals settled at the bottom of the water.
  Hutton also theorized that the Earth had changed gradually by natural processes and would continue to change through the same processes. Other scientists believed the Earth was completely formed about 6,000 years ago and that only rare catastrophes could change its features.