The Dramatic Landscapes of the American West
In The Dramatic Landscapes of the American West, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the desert of the American West as a 10-month drought is ended by an intense thunderstorm. As millions of tons of water are dumped in under an hour, raging rivers form. Over millions of years, raging waters like these have carved slot canyons and shaped a beautiful landscape. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Lesson Express
Q: How does rain come to the American West, according to the video?
A: After months of drought, the rain comes all at once, pouring down tons of water in under an hour.
Q: Is it the water alone that carves the channels through solid rock?
A: No, the sand and gravel carried by the floods also helps to carve the channels and canyons.
Q: Is this type of rainfall helpful? Harmful?
A: Although the rain brings needed moisture and carves beautiful landscapes, it can be harmful if people or animals can’t get to safety in time.
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In Erosion and Evolution, geologist Iain Stewart explains that rivers and volcanoes have shaped the Earth in dramatic ways. Rivers sweep rock and debris with them as they head toward the ocean, preparing for new land to form downstream. Scientists have found the conditions that mimic those found when the Earth was young around volcanoes and hydrothermal vents. The changing amounts of ice on the planet also impact how modern man has adapted. 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.
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