Pilot

This 90-minute documentary, narrated by Edward Herrmann, explains the geological and biological history of Earth, from its formation 4.5 billion years ago to the present day. Explained are the very beginnings of the Earth; the formation of the crust and atmosphere; the origins of water; when life began in the oceans and moved to the land; the Carboniferous period and how it ended; when dinosaurs ruled the land and the arrival of mammals; and the numerous ice ages. The documentary also explains plate tectonics and ends with the foreseeable next stages of our planet until its final stagnation about 2 billion years in the future.

1 :01x01 - San Andreas Fault

2 :01x02 - The Deepest Place on Earth

3 :01x03 - Krakatoa

4 :01x04 - Loch Ness

5 :01x05 - New York

6 :01x06 - Driest Place on Earth

A look at the driest place on earth, Atacama Desert in South America which is fifty times as dry as the second most driest, Death Valley in California. Also included is a study of the bacteria which exists in the desert.

7 :01x07 - Great Lakes

A look at how the Great Lakes were created, including an exploration of a salt mine which is underground and a fossilized coral reef; plus a dive into Lake Superior.

8 :01x08 - Yellowstone

9 :01x09 - Tsunami

Tsunamis are one of the most terrifying forces of nature, destroying all in their path. The December 26th Tsunami is estimated to have released the energy of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs. What are the enormous forces that generate these catastrophic waves deep on the ocean floor? With 50% of the world's population living within a mile of the sea, this episode looks at what could happen in the future. East coast cities from New York to Miami face the threat of a truly colossal wave that could be generated by the collapse of an active volcano off the coast of Africa.

10 :01x10 - Asteroids

A study by geologists in hopes of finding evidence of impacts on the Earth caused by asteroids. Locations examined include Meteor Crater near Flagstaff, Ariz., and sites in Canada and South Africa. Also, a theory which claims some earlier civilizations were decimated by asteroids.

11 :01x11 - Iceland

An examination of the dynamic volcanic forces and the interplay of volcanic heat and ice on the island known as Iceland.

12 :01x12 - Hawaii

An examination of the mystical formations of the Hawaiian Islands, as well as a look at their future ahead.

13 :01x13 - The Alps

An examination of the evolution and future of the Alps, including searching for the presence of marine fossils thousands of miles above sea level, and a trek up the Matterhorn and Eiger.

14 :02x01 - Grand Canyon

How The Earth Was Made looks at the Grand Canyon, a canyon that's 300 miles long and over a mile deep, made by the Colorado river which carved the canyon out of a plateau.

15 :02x02 - Vesuvius

Researchers are concerned of the Mt. Vesuvius volcano
erupting if an earthquake were to occur in an area
populated by 3 million people, since it has already erupted
and destroyed two ancient Roman cities and blasted in 1944.

16 :02x03 - Birth of the Earth

Experts will theorize the possible ways Earth came into
existence by evaluating the first billion years, as factors
would have been the solar systems dust, solidified molten
rock, water and the emergence of life on the planet.

17 :02x04 - Sahara

The Sahara Desert has had a hand in the biggest climate change event, which altered the course of human history.

18 :02x05 - Yosemite

The Sierra Nevada, North Americas highest mountain range,
contains one of the most awe-inspiring geological features
on the planet: Yosemite Valley. Walled by sheer 3,000-foot
granite cliffs and made from one of the toughest rocks on
earth, it is home to the mighty El Capitan and iconic Half
Dome. Yet how this extraordinary valley formed has been the
subject of controversy for over 100 years. Was it carved
by gigantic glaciers or a cataclysmic rifting of the Earth?

19 :02x06 - The Rockies

From Alaska to New Mexico, the Rockies are one of the great
mountain belts of the world--caused by tectonic forces
of the Pacific Plate pushing against the North American
continent. They have formed as the earths continental
crust has been shortened under pressure--by around 1 inch
a year. Whats more, they are still rising and they are
still young in geologic terms: when the dinosaurs roamed
the Earth they had not even started to form.

20 :02x07 - Ring of Fire

The "Ring of Fire" - a ring of active volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean, is nearly 25,000 miles long and one of the most amazing sights on Earth.

21 :02x08 - Everest

It is the tallest and biggest mountain on earth, as far
removed from sea level as its possible to be--and yet
its sedimentary layers contain fossils that were once
creatures that lived on the ocean seabed. The Himalayas
formed when India smashed into Asia--propelled by plate
tectonics. Everest is still rising but its height is
limited--extreme erosion counteracts and limits the amount
of uplift.

22 :02x09 - Death Valley

Nevadas Death Valley is explored for its rich evidence of
the Earths geological history, as research analysts review
the regions layers of sedimentary rocks, connection to
the ice age, the future of the separating mountain ranges
and more.

23 :02x10 - Mt. St. Helens

In the wake of Mount Saint Helens unexpected eruption
in Washington in 1980, researchers have concluded the
highly-volatile volcano will erupt again, as explosive
magma builds up, due to extreme pressure below ground
level.

24 :02x11 - Earth's Deadliest Eruption

In the remote wastes of Siberia buried under snow are
the remains of one of the greatest catastrophes that the
Earth has endured. 250 million years ago, huge volumes of
lava spewed out onto the surface--so much that it would
have buried the whole of Texas under one mile of lava. At
first the temperature dipped but then the greenhouse gases
that escaped from the depressurized lava caused a massive
global warming. It wreaked havoc and 95 of the species on
Earth became extinct. Yet life hung on and in time this
disaster paved the way for the next great phase of life
on earth--the age of the dinosaurs.

25 :02x12 - America's Ice Age

Why do we have ice ages and when is the next one due? Chart the progress of different ice ages through the history of our planet, from Snowball Earth hundreds of millions of years ago to the recent ice ages. As the Earth circles the sun, its orbit changes slightly and so does it angle of rotation. When the right wobble in our rotation combines with the right orbit, the Earth is, and will again be, plunged into an ice age--but maybe not for a few thousand years

26 :02x13 - America's Gold