The cataclysm is the Greek expression for the Biblical Great Flood of Noah, from the Greek kataklysmos, to 'wash down' ('kluzein' wash - 'kata' down'). Erudite Bible studies drew it into the English language in 1633 and it has also been used to describe other biblical events such as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah or The tenth plague of Egypt. The modern usage of cataclysm is mostly confined to geological phenomena of high significance such as the destruction of Pompeii, the Tunguska event, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake or the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collision with Jupiter.

See also

• Catastrophism
• Doomsday event
• Impact event

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