ca·tas·tro·phism
noun/kəˈtæstrəfɪzəm/
/kəˈtæstrəfɪzəm/
[uncountable] (geology)- the theory that changes to the earth’s crust (= surface) in the history of the planet were caused by sudden violent and unusual events
该理论认为地球历史上地壳（=表面）的变化是由突然的暴力和异常事件引起的