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 an event that causes serious harm to people, buildings, economies, or the environment, and the affected community cannot handle it alone. '' Natural disasters'' like avalanches, floods, earthquakes, and wildfires are caused by na ...
*
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 primeval ...
*Doomsday event, see hypothetical
risks to civilization, humans, and planet Earth
A global catastrophic risk or a doomsday scenario is a hypothetical event that could damage human well-being on a global scale, endangering or even destroying modern civilization. Existential risk is a related term limited to events that co ...
*A catastrophic natural event:
**
List of geological phenomena
**
earthquake
An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
, the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves
**
volcanic eruption
A volcanic eruption occurs when material is expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure. Several types of volcanic eruptions have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often named after famous volcanoes where that type of behavior h ...
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'', a miniseries from the ''Godzilla'' comics by IDW Publishing, see
Godzilla (comics)#Miniseries
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 the 2015 album ''
Shockwave Supernova''
See also
*
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 those with an outburst brightness visible t ...
, which irregularly increases in brightness by a large factor, then drops back down to a quiescent state (initially called ''nova'')
*
Cataclysmic pole shift hypothesis, pseudo-scientific claim of past rapid changes of Earth's axis
*
Ekpyrosis
Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy that flourished in ancient Greece and Rome. The Stoics believed that the universe operated according to reason, ''i.e.'' by a God which is immersed in nature itself. Of all the schools of ancient p ...
, a conflagration
*
Pyroclastic flow
A pyroclastic flow (also known as a pyroclastic density current or a pyroclastic cloud) is a fast-moving current of hot gas and volcanic matter (collectively known as tephra) that flows along the ground away from a volcano at average speeds of b ...
, fast-moving current of hot gas and volcanic matter
*
Lahar
A lahar (, from ) is a violent type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of Pyroclastic rock, pyroclastic material, rocky debris and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a valley, river valley.
Lahars are o ...
, violent volcanic mudflow or debris flow
*
Eschatology
Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of Contemporary era, present age, human history, or the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic and non-Abrah ...
, part of theology concerned with the final events of history
*
Kataklysm
Kataklysm is a Canadian death metal band. As of 2024, they have released fifteen studio albums, two EPs, and two DVDs. Kataklysm received their first Juno Award (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards, Grammy) for Best Album of the Yea ...
, Canadian death metal band
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