The principle of superposition - in a vertical sequence of sedimentary or volcanic rocks, a higher rock unit is younger than a lower one.
The principle of "uniformitarianism" - processes operating in the past were constrained by the same "laws of physics" as operate today.
Using these principles, it is possible to construct an interpretation of the sequence of events for any geological situation, even on other planets (e.g., a crater impact can cut into an older, pre-existing surface, or craters may overlap, revealing their relative ages).
The principle of originalhorizontality was proposed by the Danish geological pioneer Nicholas Steno (1638-1686).
The principle is important to the observation of folded and tilted strata where these are exposed by erosion.
Thus the Principle of Horizontality is widely, but not universally, applicable in the study of sedimentology, stratigraphy and structural geology and one should always bear the above caveats in mind before accepting originalhorizontality as a fact.
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