Scientists are just now unlocking the amazing secrets of how rain is made; some raindrops form around micrometeorites from outer space, others are created by bacteria that float into the upper atmosphere.
Scientists are just now unlocking the amazing secrets of how rain is made; some raindrops form around micrometeorites from outer space, others are created by bacteria that float into the upper atmosphere.
2013 • Environment
Which places on earth are poised to generate the next mega-tsunamis and the science of what happens as the wave emerges from open ocean and bears down on land.
2013 • Environment
Explore what drives the strange science behind places like Canada's Bay of Fundy-where water levels rise as much as 50 feet during high tide, and Alaska's Turnagain Arm, where 10-foot tall "bore waves" routinely wash in from the sea.
2013 • Environment
Volcanoes have incredible effects on the weather; eruptions create localized weather phenomena like acid rain and violent volcanic lightning.
2013 • Environment
NASA satellites have mapped Earth's gravity and discovered mysterious spots where gravity is weaker; how earthquakes change the planet's gravitational field.
2013 • Environment
Venus and Mars show how inhospitable Earth could have been if things were just a little bit different.
2013 • Environment
Earth's metallic core makes the planet a huge magnet, generating a magnetic field that protects us from dangerous cosmic rays and solar energy.
2013 • Environment
Blizzards; it's one of the Earth's most beautiful secrets until it turns into a storm that can bring entire cities to a grinding halt.
2013 • Environment
Steamy underworlds hiding mysterious treasures, extreme waters teeming with unique life, and jarring rock formations made of frozen lava.
2013 • Environment
From desalination plants to the "Billion Oyster Project," witness humankind's efforts to meet our freshwater needs.
S1E3 • Age of Humans • 2021 • Environment
We investigate the emerging threats posed by plastic pollution to life on Earth. The hyper-convenience of our modern way of living produces staggering volumes of plastic waste daily. Scientists now know that this waste breaks down into ever tinier pieces, spreading right across the globe and posing direct health risks, including through bioamplification of toxic additives moving up the food chain. We explore the drastic changes it will take to deliver a sustainable future for our planet.
2021 • Environment
Scientists deployed to Antarctica are accustomed to frigid temperatures, but few have experienced the condition one storm that is sweeping over Scott Base and the Ross Ice Shelf. Scott Base shuts down all missions and flights to and from western Antarctica have been cancelled; leaving them more isolated from the outside world than ever.
2/6 • Continent 7: Antarctica • 2017 • Environment
In Cholula, Mexico's oldest continuously-inhabited city, the journalist inspects the world's largest pyramid for signs of a forgotten past.
S1E2 • Ancient Apocalypse • 2022 • Environment
The semantics of the model I'm working from use common goods/common property/ common pool resources (resources used by multiple people) and common property regimes (the institutions or social arrangements between people, the property rights regarding common pool resources).
This Place • 2015 • Environment
Few places on Earth remain largely untouched and uninhabited by humans, but such spots exist in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Welcome to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a vast chain of volcanic mountains that have surfaced as tiny, isolated islands thousands of miles from any mainland. These worlds serve as both playgrounds and sanctuaries, where some species struggle and others thrive. Discover the secrets of these little-known oases as we explore eight islands, from the Arctic to the Antarctic.
2016 • Environment