Cataclysm is derived from the Greek (), 'down, against', and (), 'wash over, surge'. It may refer to:
Common meanings
*Generally, any large-scale
disaster
A disaster is a serious problem occurring over a short or long period of time that causes widespread human, material, economic or environmental loss which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources ...
*
Deluge (mythology)
A flood myth or a deluge myth is a myth in which a great flood, usually sent by a deity or deities, destroys civilization, often in an act of divine retribution. Parallels are often drawn between the flood waters of these myths and the primaeval ...
*Doomsday event, see hypothetical
risks to civilization, humans, and planet Earth
*A catastrophic natural event:
**
List of geological phenomena
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earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
, the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves
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volcanic eruption
Several types of volcanic eruptions—during which lava, tephra (ash, lapilli, volcanic bombs and volcanic blocks), and assorted gases are expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure—have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are oft ...
Video games
*''
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm'', an expansion pack of Blizzard Entertainment's ''World of Warcraft''
*''
Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead'', an open-source cross-platform roguelike video game
*''
Homeworld: Cataclysm'', a stand-alone expansion, of the ''Homeworld'' space-based RTS franchise
Books and comics
*
Cataclysm (''Dragonlance''), a fictional event in the ''Dragonlance'' novels
*''
Batman: Cataclysm'', a DC Comics crossover story arc featuring Batman
* ''
Cataclysm: The Ultimates' Last Stand'' a 2013-2014 crossover storyline appearing in the Ultimate Marvel line of books
* Godzilla: Cataclysm - see
Godzilla (comics)#IDW Publishing
Other uses
* A special ability used by Cat Noir, a
character in ''Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir''
* "Cataclysmic", a song by Joe Satriani from his album ''
Shockwave Supernova
''Shockwave Supernova'' is the fifteenth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on July 24, 2015 through Sony Music Entertainment. It features bassist Bryan Beller and drummer Marco Minnemann of The Aristocrats, as well as progressive r ...
''
See also
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Cataclysmic variable star
In astronomy, cataclysmic variable stars (CVs) are stars which irregularly increase in brightness by a large factor, then drop back down to a quiescent state. They were initially called novae (), since ones with an outburst brightness visible to ...
, which irregularly increase in brightness by a large factor, then drop back down to a quiescent state (initially called novae)
*
Ekpyrosis, a conflagration
*
Eschatology
Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of the present age, human history, or of the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic), which teach that nega ...
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