Earth: The Power of the Planet 1. Volcano (1 of 32)

Earth: The Power of the Planet

"Earth: The Power of the Planet" highlights the major events which have shaped the Earth's history and allowed life to flourish. Presented by Dr Iain Stewart, each episode will reveal a different force critical to the development of Earth including volcanoes, the ocean, the atmosphere and ice.

Part 1: Volcano
Volcanoes are one of nature’s most awesome and destructive forces, but they are also the life force and architect of our planet. They can raise up great mountains and create new land, or they can level cities and destroy entire civilizations. They provide a glimpse of the power of Earth’s internal heat source, without which it would have become a dead planet millions of years ago. In this episode, Iain takes us on a journey to some of the most dramatic places on Earth, starting in Ethiopia.

This is our planet - the Earth.
It 's an amazing ever-changing world, full of natural wonders, but there's more to Earth than this, much more.
Because our planet is unique in the solar system, perhaps even in the Universe.
Four and a half billion years have made it a world of extraordinary landscapes and a home to life.
My name's Iain Stewart, and I want to show you how our remarkable planet works.