How often do mass-extinction-level events occur in the history of Earth?
Answer
On timescales of millions of years
Geological and historical evidence indicates that catastrophic events capable of causing mass extinction are exceedingly rare. These events are not a concern for human lifetimes, as they occur on massive geological timescales spanning millions of years. While the risk from large objects is a reality of space, the frequency of such impacts is so low that it does not align with the short-term cycles of human history or media-reported threats.
#Videos
This Asteroid Might Make Impact With Earth in 2032 | NOVA | PBS
NASA Warns: A Deadly Asteroid Is Headed Toward Earth - YouTube
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