Who expanded the scientific notion about the age of the Earth through geological theory?

James Hutton is recognized for significantly advancing the scientific understanding of Earth's age through his geological theories. He introduced the concept of deep time, suggesting that the Earth is much older than previously believed. Hutton proposed that geological processes occur over expansive time scales, leading to the formation of various geological features. His idea of uniformitarianism—that the present is the key to the past—implies that the same natural processes operating today have been at work throughout Earth's history. This foundational idea laid the groundwork for modern geology and helped scientists realize that the Earth is billions of years old, challenging earlier beliefs that it was only a few thousand years old. Hutton’s work established essential principles that later scientists, like Lyell, would further develop, but he is credited as the originator of these revolutionary concepts.