A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth. These include floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis and other geologic processes.
Related terms
Catastrophism: The theory that the Earth has been affected in the past by sudden, short-lived, violent events that were sometimes worldwide in scope.
Ecosystem Disruption: An occurrence where an ecosystem experiences a drastic change or disturbance which alters its structure and function.