Katia and Maurice Krafft loved two things —each other and volcanoes. For two decades, the daring French volcanologist couple were seduced by the thrill and danger of this elemental love triangle. They roamed the planet, chasing eruptions and their aftermath, documenting their discoveries in stunning photographs and breathtaking film to share with an increasingly curious public in media appearances and lecture tours. This couple of intrepid scientists died in a volcanic explosion doing the very thing that brought them together: unraveling the mysteries of volcanoes by capturing the most explosive imagery ever recorded.
Our planet is one in a billion. How incredible, awe-inspiring life is driven by its natural forces - and how we can ensure humans become a force for good. David Attenborough narrates a series revealing how the forces of nature drive, shape and support the Earth's great diversity of life. The first edition examines volcanoes, which responsible for both for the planet's breathable atmosphere and the oceans, but are also the architects of the planet, with over 80% of the Earth's surface being the result of magma bursting up from the molten interior - providing a platform for life.
From the frozen poles to the searing deserts, this episode shows how animals have come up with strategies to survive the uneven amounts of sunlight that fall on our planet over the course of a year. The exception is on the equator, where the duration of day and night remain the same throughout the year. Here, this guaranteed sunlight drives the great diversity of life in the tropical jungles.
Within the earth, right beneath our feet, are strange and sometimes deadly secrets. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions are just some of the phenomena that are driven by hidden forces deep inside our planet. With the latest sensors and surface scans, a virtual X-Ray of the earth can be generated for study. In the first episode, we will explore how a vast fault 80 miles off the Pacific Northwest coast. With pressure building for over 300 years, a slip would result in a megaquake and tsunami that will devastate the region threatening 15 million people.
A mammoth Tsunami strikes the eastern seaboard. It would be a disaster of epic proportions. Some scientists believe this catastrophe could happen one day, but how? This episode shows the Atlantic island of La Palma has collapsed several times in mega-landslides. Another could trigger a tsunami with enough power to cross the Atlantic Ocean and decimate the US East Coast.
Beneath Yellowstone National Park, lies the biggest volcano on Earth. An eruption in the past was so big it plunged the earth into a volcanic winter that lasted years. A super-eruption would be more than millions of Hiroshima bombs going off all at once. It would be even worse than an asteroid impact: Entire cities lost beneath ash, people and animals crushed alive, power networks destroyed, sun dimmed across the globe, harvests failed, widespread famine.
Could this nightmare really happen? We will use the latest scientific data to uncover the danger beneath us, as we see our planet like never before.
This couple of intrepid scientists died in a volcanic explosion doing the very thing that brought them together: unraveling the mysteries of volcanoes by capturing the most explosive imagery ever recorded.