Dennis B. answered • 08/01/25
B S in secondary education composite Science teaching grades 7 - 12.
The theory of uniformitarianism implies that all sedimentary rock was formed the same way in all conditions over time. However, it does not factor in unusual weather and other conditions such catastrophic, volcanic and global anomalies. Therefore the accumulation of animal and plant remains and the amount of time involved in silt formation that fossilizes can vary greatly in the rock layers. Any catastrophic event like this needs to be factored into determining the age of rock layers and any fossils found in those rocks which has a bearing on the age of the rocks. A good example of this could be found in the residual strata formation caused by the water runoff from Spirit lake at the mount St Helens eruption in the '80s.
