Videos  
Video

The Story of Tectonic Plates Is the Story of Our Planet

In The Story of Tectonic Plates Is the Story of Our Planet, geologist Iain Stewart explains how hot rock below the Earth’s surface causes tectonic plates and continents to both diverge and collide, creating landscapes like the bold rock face of the Thingvellir fissure in Iceland, and the 5-million-year-old mountains of New Zealand. Over millions of years, our continents have drifted apart from the supercontinent known as Pangaea, but the plates continue moving and the continents will once again converge in the future. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Earth: The Power of the Planet, a documentary series in which Dr. Iain Stewart discovers how Earth's forces can shape nature, species, and even the climate.

Video Details
Location:
Iceland, Ethiopia, and New Zealand
Grades:
Program:
Earth: The Power of the Planet
Time:
7:17
Subject:
Standards
Keywords
Share:

More Like This

Video
The Extraordinary World of Mid-Ocean Ridges

In The Extraordinary World of Mid-Ocean Ridges, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains the mid-ocean ridges and what explorers have learned about this ecosystem. Watch undersea vents and Pompeii tube-worms in the mid-ocean ridges. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.

Video
The Alps, Europe’s Jagged Peaks

In The Alps, Europe’s Jagged Peaks, narrator Sir David Attenborough marvels at the ancient seabed turned mountain chain. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

Video
How Mountains Shape the Climate

In How Mountains Shape the Climate, narrator Sir David Attenborough takes in soaring views that reveal the extreme altitude of the Himalayas. These mountains are so high that they force the formation of clouds and monsoon rain and snow. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

Video
The Danakil Depression

In The Danakil Depression, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the alien landscape of one of the lowest, hottest places on Earth. Pools of sulfuric acid and churning lava hint at the birth of new mountains. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.