catastrophists
Prophets of doom
Catastrophists are people who believe that major changes in Earth's geology or biology have resulted from sudden, violent events rather than gradual processes.
The term originated in opposition to uniformitarianism, the view that geological change happens slowly over vast time periods.
In broader usage, catastrophists are those who predict or emphasize the likelihood of disasters or worst-case scenarios: The catastrophists warned that the economy would collapse within months.
Those predicting disaster
- end-timesProphesied concluding era
- preppersPeople preparing for catastrophes
- survivalistsThose preparing for catastrophe
- collapseSudden structural failure
extinction · nuclear winter · climate doom · existential risk · dystopia · Armageddon · prophets · millennialism
Past mimics present processes
- mass extinctionLarge-scale species elimination
- asteroid impactSpace rock collision event
- volcanismSubterranean magma expulsion process
- flood basaltVast volcanic rock layer
K-Pg boundary · Alvarez · bolide · Deccan Traps · paleontology · stratigraphic · cataclysm · dinosaur extinction
Irreversible change triggers
- feedback loopsSelf-modifying response cycles
- sea level riseIncreasing ocean surface height
- permafrostPerpetually frozen earth layer
- coral bleachingStress-induced reef discoloration
ecosystem collapse · biodiversity loss · irreversible · sixth extinction · climate emergency · planetary boundaries · ocean acidification · extreme weather
Sudden market decline
- bubble burstSudden end of inflation
- recessionProlonged economic decline
- depressionProlonged low state
- systemic riskEconomy-wide collapse potential
contagion · currency crisis · hyperinflation · debt spiral · liquidity crisis · derivatives · subprime · panic selling
doomsayers
Those predicting disaster
- end-timesProphesied concluding era
- preppersPeople preparing for catastrophes
- survivalistsThose preparing for catastrophe
collapse · extinction · nuclear winter · climate doom · existential risk · dystopia · Armageddon · prophets · millennialism · bunkers
uniformitarianism
Past mimics present processes
- mass extinctionLarge-scale species elimination
- asteroid impactSpace rock collision event
- volcanismSubterranean magma expulsion process
flood basalt · K-Pg boundary · Alvarez · bolide · Deccan Traps · paleontology · stratigraphic · cataclysm · dinosaur extinction · iridium layer
tipping points
Irreversible change triggers
- feedback loopsSelf-modifying response cycles
- sea level riseIncreasing ocean surface height
- permafrostPerpetually frozen earth layer
coral bleaching · ecosystem collapse · biodiversity loss · irreversible · sixth extinction · climate emergency · planetary boundaries · ocean acidification · extreme weather · IPCC
market crash
Sudden market decline
- bubble burstSudden end of inflation
- recessionProlonged economic decline
- depressionProlonged low state
systemic risk · contagion · currency crisis · hyperinflation · debt spiral · liquidity crisis · derivatives · subprime · panic selling · black swan
- negativistspessimists, defeatists, doomers, doomsayers, negative Nellies
catastrophistsoptimists
Those expecting favorable results
utopians · hopefuls · idealists · positivists