Which term describes the idea that Earth's features are primarily shaped by sudden, large-scale catastrophes rather than gradual processes?

• A. Uniformitarianism
• B. Plate tectonics
• C. Evolution
• D. Catastrophism

Answer: (D)

Catastrophism posits that Earth's landscape and features are formed by sudden, large-scale catastrophes rather than slow, gradual processes. This view emphasizes dramatic events—such as floods, volcanic eruptions, or impacts—that rapidly reshape the planet. It contrasts with uniformitarianism, which argues that the same everyday processes we see today (erosion, deposition, weathering) operating over long timescales produce most geological change. Plate tectonics is about the movement of the Earth's crust and the resulting structural features, which includes both gradual and episodic activity, but the specific idea of rapid, catastrophic shaping is best captured by catastrophism. Evolution deals with biological change in populations over time, not the formation of geological features.