What is catasrophism?

Answer 1

Baron Georges Léopold Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert Cuvier (1769-1832) produced a theory stating that numerous global catastrophes in the past had repeatedly cause the existence of species that were then replace by newly created forms.

Answer 2

Catastrophism is the belief that Earth's geological features are primarily the result of sudden, short-lived, and violent events. This theory, popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, proposed that natural catastrophes such as floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions were responsible for shaping the Earth's surface. It contrasts with the gradualistic view that Earth's features are the result of slow and continuous processes over long periods of time.