All Seasons

Season 1

  • S01E01 Asia: Rising Mountains and Sinking Countries

    • June 4, 2012
    • Arte

    The Indian subcontinent pushes the Himalayas upward; Japan is shaken by tectonic forces; Indonesia is ravaged by volcanoes. The rise of the Himalayas is chronicled. Also: Natural events that impacted Japan and Indonesia are discussed.

  • S01E02 Asia: The Tectonics of Life and Death

    • June 5, 2012
    • Arte

    The greatest destruction of life in the Earth's history; Siberia joining other land masses. Charting Siberia's course across the Earth's surface and the formation of the planet's largest continent.

  • S01E03 Oceania: The Tectonic Ring of Fire

    • June 6, 2012
    • Arte

    Examining what resulted from the collision of the Australian and Pacific plates that formed the lands of the South Pacific.

  • S01E04 Europe: Tropical Beginnings

    • June 7, 2012
    • Arte

    Europe was born of three massive tectonic collisions, leading the numerous transformations. Exploring Europe's geological history. Also: Fossils and petrified forests are examined.

  • S01E05 Europe: A Turbulent Future

    • June 8, 2012
    • Arte

    Europe continues to be transformed by tectonic forces; Iceland cracks at the seams; the Alps are rising. Changes in Iceland and the Mediterranean Sea are examined as tectonic forces continue to transform Europe.

Season 2

  • S02E01 North America

    • September 1, 2014
    • Arte

    North America's mountain chains and huge plateaus were formed by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and the odd ice age. Here we travel from the Canadian Shield, across the Grand Canyon and to the Rockies to understand the extraordinary geological forces at play. We even look into the future, when part of California should be an island in the Pacific!

  • S02E02 Central America

    • September 2, 2014
    • Arte

    Central America takes us back to when the world was young. A fragile line of islands linking North and South America, the islands of the Caribbean are recent apparitions on earth and may not be here to stay. The 2010 earthquake in Haiti dramatically illustrated that. This episode balances land and sea, bringing the viewer closer to how it all began.

  • S02E03 South America

    • September 3, 2014
    • Arte

    One glance at a map of South America says it all: Andes and Amazonian basin. Two huge geological characteristics that describe how the continent came into being. The Amazon was once under the sea. As the water drained away the Andes rose up, creating some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world.

  • S02E04 The Origins of Africa

    • September 4, 2014
    • Arte

    Africa is Mother Earth. Gondwana, the first, single, landmass broke apart into today's continents, but its heart is Africa. Land of rifts, lakes and volcanoes, Africa's mineral deposits testify to its eons-old history.

  • S02E05 Africa Today

    • September 5, 2014
    • Arte

    Volcanic activity and climate change define Africa's "modern" history. Modern in geological terms, of course! Recently - meaning 50 million years ago - the Arabian plate snapped off the African continent and joined Southeast Asia. The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden were born.