Imagine that a system has been perturbed at a constant rate for a long time, but the system has barely changed. Suddenly, a small additional perturbation causes a large change in the system. This scenario is an example of:
A) uniformitarianism.
B) catastrophism.
C) a threshold effect.
D) a feedback mechanism.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario describes a threshold effect, where a system can withstand certain amounts of perturbations without changing much until a threshold is reached, beyond which the system can experience significant changes. Uniformitarianism and catastrophism refer to hypotheses regarding the rate and type of geological processes. Feedback mechanisms refer to how a system responds to changes in the environment.

Imagine That a System Has Been Perturbed at a Constant