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The destructive and unexpected nature of earthquakes has remained a constant threat since civilisation began. Suitable for all secondary audiences, this two-part program firstly examines the scientific aspects of an earthquake, focusing on the earth's structure and the changes which take place both before and after a seismic event. The second part is an in-depth case study of the February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch. A devastating event for the city's residents and surrounding landscape, viewers hear firsthand accounts from seismology experts, emergency response leaders, rebuilding and reconstruction co-ordinators, and locals.
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National Parks conserve the natural beauty of a region with unique landscapes, flora and fauna for present and future generations. But what qualifies as a National Park? In this excellent program we examine Yellowstone National Park, The Lake District and Kakadu National Park and the challenges they face. It provides a brief history of the National Park movement, the growth of tourism and its impact, the conflicts between recreation and conservation, mining and conservation, environmental and economic needs as well as various interest groups including local and indigenous communities. This program is an ideal resource for students in geography, environmental and cultural studies.
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There will be a very large-scale super volcanic eruption from Yellowstone National Park. The question is not if it will happen, but when.
For over a century, tens of millions of visitors have marveled at the natural beauty of Yellowstone National Park, home to the largest concentration of geysers in the world, including the iconic Old Faithful. However, beneath all this beauty lurks a beast.
Visitors may not realize it, but Yellowstone is situated directly above one of the largest volcanic systems on Earth-a supervolcano. For the past two million years, this volcano has erupted roughly every 600,000 years. The last major eruption, which produced a caldera that stretches over 1,500 square miles across the park-two-thirds the size of Prince Edward Island-occurred 640,000 years ago. So, is it overdue for another eruption?
As the human population marches toward 10 billion people, understanding where people live, how they are connected, and how they are shaping different parts of the planet is essential. Host Dr. Alexander B. Murphy opens the door to the field of human geography, a vital perspective for making sense of the rapidly changing, increasingly interconnected world of the 21st century. He shows us that if we cannot think geographically we are bound to fail in confronting future challenges.
In this exciting eight part series, Human Geography: Making Sense of Planet Earth, renowned human geographer Dr. Alexander B. Murphy shows us how geographical concepts and insights are reshaping how we understand the challenges of a planet. Traveling the globe, Dr. Murphy demonstrates how seeing the world spatially is a key to surviving and prospering in the 21st century.
Program 1: The Tools of Human Geography
Program 2: Population Distribution and Migration
Program 3: Understanding Human Culture
Program 4: Political Boundaries
Program 5: Agriculture and Rural Land Use
Program 6: Industrialization and Economic Development
Program 7: Cities and Urban Land Use
Program 8: Confronting Future Challenges
Deserts occupy more area of the surface of our planet than any other type of landscape. They occur in all climatic zones including the hottest and coldest locations on Earth. This program examines deserts around the world, explaining why they exist and the different climate drivers at work in their formation and physical characteristics. It also covers human life in deserts and the various ways in which people adapt to living in a dry environment, and their impact on fragile desert ecosystems. It features a range of imagery of different deserts around the world, and uses graphics to clearly explain the natural processes at work.
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Australia is the driest continent on the planet. In many parts of this nation drought is a fact of life, and at just about any point in time, somewhere in Australia will be experiencing one. This program examines the effects of drought, with emphasis on its effects on society, the economy and the agricultural sector. Featuring interviews with environmental scientist Dr Terry Walshe, together with vegetable farmer Peter Schreur and Mildura-based farmers Bob McCarthy and Neil Bennett, it explores the nature of drought, the climatic causes of drought, the environmental effects and strategies to manage it. This is an excellent resource for students of Geography, Environmental and Agricultural Sciences.
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The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program is a key contributor to global climate change research. With facilities in three locations around the world, ARM studies cloud formation and radiative feedback in the atmosphere. Through continuous field measurements ARM provides data necessary for development of accurate climate models.
Across the world, extreme weather events are affecting local conditions. Some areas are getting drier and hotter, while others are getting wetter, as floods are becoming more frequent and more extreme. While formal weather records going back 150 years indicate wildly varying climates, conditions have never changed as rapidly as they are changing now.
Deserts cover one-third of the world's land mass, and are growing at an alarming rate. Encroaching deserts are estimated to affect250 million people. However, for those who have always lived in some of the driest locations on earth, there is a range of skills and traditions designed to help cope with the 'arid' life.
Areas such as the Horn of Africa are suffering severe droughts brought on by seasonal changes, climate change, political troubles and population increases. Those worst affected by droughts are reduced to eating boiled flowers. The effects of famine are felt for generations.
The Earth is roughly four and a half billion years old, and life started to emerge shortly after the first billion. Our planet's atmosphere is made up of one of the world's most reactive elements ¡V oxygen. It is the product of green plants and is essential for the survival of all animal life.
Earthquakes are sudden, unpredictable movements of the Earth's crust. Certain parts of the world are especially susceptible to these types of catastrophic events. Vulnerable countries are working toward developing reliable early warning systems so that they can better prepare their people and cities for impending disaster.
Our planet's untouched natural environments are shrinking, due to pressure from human populations. As these areas decline, the creatures adapted to live in them face a decline in numbers, and sometimes even extinction altogether. Many biologists believe that if we don't act quickly, half the world's species will be gone in 100 years.
Fires strike when the air is hot and the land is dry. They spread when high winds fan the flames. This episode profiles the 2007 California wildfires, the Los Alamos Research Lab super computer 'Blue Mountain' that simulated fire spread, the Fire Camera system in Australia, and the fire festival in Spain.
With average temperatures rising globally, floods are becoming more frequent and prolonged. This episode reviews the effects of floods, and discusses the measures being taken to prevent or combat these effects in Italy, Argentina, Bangladesh and The Netherlands.
Forests currently account for nearly 10% of the Earth's surface, but are dwindling due to the demands of an increasing population and industry. Forests are important to the planet's biosphere as they retain water, preserve soil quality and provide habitats for many plant and wildlife species. We look at initiatives being embraced around the world to combat forest loss.
The world's glaciers are breaking away and melting at a rate that cannot be replenished. We travel to France, Greenland, Bolivia and Argentina with glaciologists and students, taking core samples and establishing what needs to be done to minimize the devastating effects of glacial melting. This episode also follows four extreme kayakers.
The bulk of the earth's fresh water is locked away in polar ice caps, and 90% of the world's ice can be found in Antarctica. Ice dwelling animals are affected by glacial melts around the planet. Glaciologists are researching the effect carbon dioxide emissions are having on the planet's decreasing ice supplies.
Islands provide unique environments isolated from major land masses. We look at some of the most isolated and beautiful islands on the planet, including Easter Island with its stone sculptures, the treeless expanses of the Shetland Islands of Scotland, and the Pharaoh Islands, initially settled by Irish monks and Vikings.
Lakes are bodies of water not connected to an ocean. Just three percent of the world's water is fresh, with two-thirds being locked away in polar or glacial ice. Russia's Lake Baikal and the Great Lake System of North America make up as much as half of what's left over.
Of all the planets, Mars has an environment most like Earth. We look at the multiple missions to Mars, and the technology employed by NASA in its probes to assist with the search for water and life on Mars. Success has been a long time coming. However, scientists were able to determine that water exists on Mars, as it was found in a soil sample.
More than half of the world's population depends on the rivers that are fed by the ice and snow that form in mountain ranges. Some mountains are formed by volcanic action, but mountain ranges result from the compression of the Earth's Tectonic Plates. The Himalayas are the highest mountain system, and the youngest.
This show looks at the oceans of the world and the marine life that inhabits them. The Great Barrier Reef, marine scientific research, Whale Sharks, The Mexican Turtle Center, Albatross, Seals, mini\ submarines and big wave tow-in surfers are all reliant on conditions only made possible in oceans.
Coral reefs are incredibly bio-diverse areas formed in nutrient-poor water. Over millions of years the cumulative work of tiny coral polyps has built vast formations that support coral, plants and other species. This episode reviews some of the most remarkable coral reefs on the planet, and examines the effects tourism and fishing are having on these delicate ecosystems.
Lakes and rivers constitute only one percent of the Earth's water, but are vital to all land-based life. Rivers provide drinking water and water for agricultural purposes. Since the beginning of civilization, they have been used for transport, and cities have grown on their banks. Population pressures are putting all major waterways under stress.
Across the void of space, the other planets in our solar system all have environments that are hostile to life as we know it. Our nearest neighbor, Venus, has been visited by probes to gather information about its surface ¡V as has Mars ¡V but we have yet to discover ways to send astronauts to these planets
Storms manifest as Hurricanes, Cyclones, Sandstorms, Sea Storms and Tornadoes. Some geographic locations are more susceptible to cyclogenesis and the resulting devastation. Sailors participating in the Sydney to Hobart Race are often at the mercy of severe storms, and parts of America and India have been seriously affected by Hurricanes in the last decade.
A yellow dwarf star that fuses hydrogen atoms into helium and releases huge amounts of energy in the process, the Sun provides light and warmth that makes our Earth habitable. Studied at the most advanced observatories and celebrated at Stonehenge, the Pyramid of the Sun, Inti Raymi and Olympia, the Sun is crucial to our existence.
The tropics of the world feature the broadest range of plant and animal life. Tropical forests use intense sunlight to replenish the atmosphere with oxygen and water vapor. However, increases in logging and population are posing threats. This episode looks at various tropical rainforests, reefs and deserts around the world.
Housing, clean water, sanitization and transportation are all crucial to a functional city. Nowadays, the advantages of urban living are offset by high numbers of people living in a relatively small area. We review the effects of pollution and poor sanitization on some of the world's most recognizable landmarks as well as the efforts undertaken to combat urban living issues.
Volcanic eruptions are devastating, yet people continue to reside near active volcanoes as the ash and lava enrich the soil. Some volcanoes lay dormant for centuries, even millennia, creating catastrophic consequences when they finally erupt. Mt. Vesuvius, Popocatepetl, Mount Merapi, St. Helen's, Fuji & St. Turin are profiled.
Some areas are too harsh to be inhabited by civilization. Others have survived through conservation efforts, such as the parks protected as World Heritage Sites. The last great wilderness is Antarctica, which belongs to no country and is protected from exploitation by its subzero climate.
The Appalachian Mountains are the oldest mountain range in North America. They date back about 650 million years. The collision between the North American and African plates caused the mountain range to rise up. The Appalachians had become the highpoint of the eastern part of the continent, running from Newfoundland down to the central part of Alabama.
DVD / 2009 / (Intermediate, High School) / 22 minutes
Located between the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Coastal Ranges to the west, this gigantic Basin and Range Region runs for about 5,000 miles from the Bering Sea to the southern end of Mexico.
The Canadian Shield has a greater land area with fewer people living in it than any other geographical region on the North American continent. This geographic region has some of the hardest and oldest rocks to be found anywhere in North America. Scientists estimate there were at least 150 separate volcanic belts, or strings of volcanoes, involved in creating the foundation of the Canadian Shield. This region is the very first portion of North America to be pushed up above sea level. It all began some 3-4 million years ago. Included within the Canadian Shield are portions of five Canadian Provinces, 4 United States, and the world's largest island, Greenland.
DVD / 2009 / (Intermediate, High School) / 22 minutes
The surf of the Atlantic Ocean washes the eastern coast of North America. Then, the continental coast circles the Gulf of Mexico¡K from the southern end of Florida¡K across Alabama and Mississippi, to Louisiana and Texas¡K and finally hooking down into Mexico, all the way to the Yucatan Peninsula. Along this roughly 3,000 miles of oceanfront, the relatively flat lands adjacent to the sea are known as the "Coastal Plain." In some places in the north, the Coastal Plain can be as narrow as ten miles. While at its widest point the Coastal Plain region extends a distance of about 400 miles! From its pine and hardwood forests in the north, to the tropical rain forests of the Yucatan Peninsula in the south, the Coastal Plain features some of the most beautiful and diverse landforms in all of North America.
DVD / 2009 / (Intermediate, High School) / 22 minutes
The western coast of North America is a series of spectacular shorelines, where breathtaking waves from the Pacific Ocean crash upon amazing rock formations¡K at the base along the Coastal Range. It stretches for over 3,500 miles, from the Alaskan Peninsula in the north, to the tip of the Baja California Peninsula in the south. One would normally think of mountains as solid and unmovable, but the majority of these towering peaks began as volcanoes and several still have the potential to become active even today! This region is just a small part of a famous line of tectonic activity that circles the entire Pacific Ocean, known as The Ring of Fire!
DVD / 2009 / (Intermediate, High School) / 22 minutes
The comprehensive and visually rich "Digi-nary" program includes over 60 key terms defined within the North America Geographic Regions and Landforms series. Access video clips, approximately 20-30 seconds per term, from an alphabetical menu.
DVD / 2009 / (Intermediate, High School) / 22 minutes
At the very heart of North America, between the Rocky Mountains and east of the Mississippi River, we find one of the continent's largest regional landforms, The Great Plains. Its most striking feature is its flatness and wide open spaces. The Great Plains encompass all or part of 15 of the United States and three Canadian provinces. In Canada, the Great Plains is known as "The Prairies." One might wonder¡Khow did the Great Plains become so flat? The answer goes back about 250 million years. Back then, the Great Plains were not plains or prairie at all. In fact, they were not even dry land. Scientists have determined that it was once covered by a vast inland sea known as the Western Interior Waterway. This waterway ran from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Gulf of Mexico in the south.
DVD / 2009 / (Intermediate, High School) / 22 minutes
The Interior Lowland of the North America is at the heart of the continent. This important region extends from the Canadian Arctic in the north to the Gulf of Mexico in the south. The region features terrain with broad river valleys, rolling hills, high bluffs, forested growth, open vistas and many lakes.
DVD / 2009 / (Intermediate, High School) / 22 minutes
The Rocky Mountains are like the backbone of the North American continent, stretched from top to bottom of the continent like a spine. In this case, the vertebrae are rugged mountain peaks. The true Rockies are found running from the Laird River Basin in the Canadian province of British Columbia to the Sacramento Mountains in the state of New Mexico. The Rocky Mountains span a distance of about 3,000 miles.
DVD / 2009 / (Intermediate, High School) / 22 minutes
Explores the natural history of Wisconsin. Part One takes a trip back to the ice age when our lakes, hills and valleys were formed. Part Two tours the state to learn some basic concepts in ecology.
Recommended for geography, science and social studies classes everywhere. An Interactive DVD with added questions and quizzes. Part 1 recreates the dramatic story of how the Great Lakes were formed in the most recent ice age. Includes a section on Native Americans who lived here after the ice ages. Part 2 tells the story of the voyageurs, lumberjacks, miners and pioneer farmers who settled and developed the Great Lakes country into what we know today. Part 3 highlights case studies of current environmental problems and solutions. Includes an interview with Dr. Clifford Kraft, Sea Grant scientist in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
DVD (Closed Captioned, With Guide) / 2005 / (Upper elementary, Secondary, College) / 62 minutes
The s are your tour guides as they study the diverse histories, cultures, economics and physical characteristics of distant (and not-so-distant) regions of our world. In this episode, the s explore the lay of the land and development of North Africa.
The s are your tour guides as they study the diverse histories, cultures, economics and physical characteristics of distant (and not-so-distant) regions of our world. In this episode, the s explore Europe as a world shaper and the region that contains Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Take a trip with the s as they show you the diverse people and landscapes that make up North America! You'll explore America's major regions and go on a journey through the home of hockey, Canada.
The Earth is made of rock from the tallest mountains to the floor of the ocean. Rocks are all around most of us. Thousands of different types of rocks and minerals have been found on Earth and this program examines how rocks are continually changing. It looks at the types of rocks - Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic and teaches students how to start their own collection including; how to identify rocks, where to find rocks, collecting equipment and housing and enlarging their collection.
People who study Earth's history use a type of calendar called the geologic time scale. It looks very different from the familiar calendar. In some ways it is more like a book and the rocks are its pages. Some of the pages are torn or missing and the pages are not numbered but geology gives us the tools to help us read this book. In this program students will discover the relative time scale, the various forms of life in the rock layers and explore the Numeric Time Scale. This program also discusses the three main concepts, which are important in the study and use of fossils. Subjects Covered Include: Fossils represent the remains of once-living organisms. Most fossils are the remains of extinct organisms. The kinds of fossils found in rocks of different ages differ because life on Earth has changed over time.
This program illustrates what water can do below the earth's surface, over long periods of time. Using animated and real life sequences, this program explores some important caves, their formations and teaches students how underground water dissolves limestone to form caves, caverns, stalagmites, stalagtites and boxfork formations.
This program introduces students to the various forces, which have shaped our earth. These include wind, running water, glaciers, volcanoes, temperature changes, gravity, ocean currents, faulting and folding. The first part of the program introduces students to each of these concepts followed by fifty land formations and information about each formation.
Present day glaciers have considerable economic importance in many areas. In the Western United States glaciers are considered to be frozen reservoirs which release water during the warmer summer months. They are also of considerable importance to the irrigation of crops and hydroelectric power and to feeding underground water reservoirs. For this reason scientists have been studying glaciers around the world. Explore how glaciologists are using new scientific tools to study glaciers on the surface of the earth. See how satellites keep track of glacial growth or shrinkage in places like Antarctica, Greenland and Iceland.
This program explores the Paleozoic Era from the Cambrian time - over 600 million years ago. It looks at common fossils found in the United States and investigates the origin of these animals and how Paleontologists have classified them according to their various characteristics. Student's will discover the fossils record, artists drawings and dioramas of life in the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Mississippian, Pennsylvanian and Permian Periods. Discover plant life, marine life and land life including diatoms, algae, mosses, ferns, cycads, brachiopods, trilobites, crinoids, insects, reptiles, ammonites, sharks and fish. This program also discusses mass extinction theories and shows how the continents have moved.
This program looks at the progression of life forms during the Cenozoic era - the Age of Mammals. This program shows the development of mammal life forms in the Tertiary and the Quaternary periods and how life forms adapted to conditions during the Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, Pliocene and Quaternary periods.
This program explores the major life forms, which lived during the Mesozoic Era, the time span from 245 million years ago to 65 million years ago. At the beginning of the Mesozoic Era, the major landmasses were joined together into a supercontinent called Pangaea so animals could easily move from place to place. Temperatures were much warmer than they are today and even the ice caps at the north and south poles were absent. In this environment life flourished and we saw the development of huge, reptile-like animals such as the dinosaurs. Life during Mesozoic times also occurred in the oceans and new plant forms, including flowering plants began to spread across the earth. About 65 million years ago most of the larger dinosaurs vanished and this program discusses why this "extinction event" took place.
Most people know that water is unevenly distributed over the Earth's surface in oceans, rivers and lakes, but few realize how very uneven the distribution actually is. The World's oceans - 139 square miles of it - contain 317 million cubic miles of Saltwater. The atmosphere is another kink of ocean and moves water vapor around the world until it falls as precipitation. This program examines the Hydrologic Cycle and shows the major water movement in the United States. It also examines how ground water stores and releases water and looks at lakes, major river systems in the World and the World's estimated water supply.
This program explores the watery world of the wetlands. Students learn their origins, the plant and animal life within them and why marshes are important to the food chain and to us. This program brings the Florida Everglades into the classroom, leading students on a tour of the "River of Grass." The various types of wetlands, such as bogs and marshes are discussed, as are the many natural habitats they provide. Students will gain a new appreciation for drinking water as they discover the wetlands role in filtering water pollution.
All water, even rainwater contains dissolved chemicals which scientists call "Salts." These salts eventually wash down into rivers and streams and eventually find their way into oceans and seas.Subjects covered include: The origin of the sea. The sources of salt. The components of sea water. The salinity of the sea and its variability. How sea life affects sea waters composition.
Confronts head-on three critical science/technology/society issues of the 21st century. On all three issues it explores a contrarian point of view. That is, the program presents evidence in support of: (1) Natural resources are limited only by the ultimate natural resource, the human mind; (2) Population growth (or decline) is a problem, but not the overwhelming one some scientists and citizens considered it in the 20th century; and (3) Climate change is real but it may not be the most serious problem the world faces in the 21st century. While the program does take the contrarian point of view, it challenges the student (and the teacher) to investigate these critical issues and come to their own conclusions. In other words it is not dogmatic and offers a stimulating way to discuss these vital issues and to rationally explore what scientific methods can contribute to their solution.