William Whewell coined the term uniformitarianism to describe Lyell 's version of the ideas . This was in contrast with catastrophism , the idea that the rocks recorded a series of catastrophes followed by repopulation by a new range of species . In a comment on the arguments of the 1830s , William Whewell coined the term uniformitarianism to describe Lyell 's version of the ideas , contrasted with the catastrophism of those who supported the early 19th century concept that geological ages recorded a series of catastrophes followed by repopulation by a new range of species .