The event described, where a single asteroid impact is thought to have caused a mass extinction and dramatically altered the course of life on Earth, is an example of B. catastrophism. This principle suggests that the Earth's landscape has been shaped by a series of sudden, short-lived, and violent events, such as asteroid impacts or volcanic eruptions, rather than by continuous and gradual processes.
The image below shows a recreation of an asteroid impact thought to have happened about 66 million years ago.
Many scientists think that this single event caused the extinction of most of the dinosaurs, which led to the rise of mammals. Which geologic principle is this an example of?
A.
uniformitarianism
B.
catastrophism
C.
gradualism
D.
geographism
1 answer