1 00:00:06,758 --> 00:00:09,218 [gentle music] 2 00:00:09,260 --> 00:00:12,138 [animals chirping, chittering] 3 00:00:12,180 --> 00:00:13,890 * * 4 00:00:13,931 --> 00:00:15,600 - Greetings. Bill Nye here. 5 00:00:15,641 --> 00:00:19,062 I'm in one of the most amazing places on Earth, 6 00:00:19,103 --> 00:00:21,064 Yellowstone National Park. 7 00:00:21,105 --> 00:00:25,276 We're in Wyoming, a beautiful, otherworldly landscape 8 00:00:25,318 --> 00:00:27,945 sculpted by relentless geological forces 9 00:00:27,987 --> 00:00:30,364 over billions of years. 10 00:00:30,406 --> 00:00:32,533 They call this geyser Old Faithful 11 00:00:32,575 --> 00:00:35,328 because it erupts every day, faithfully, 12 00:00:35,369 --> 00:00:37,288 about every 74 minutes. 13 00:00:37,330 --> 00:00:39,749 [whooshing] 14 00:00:39,791 --> 00:00:44,253 The ground beneath our feet feels solid and stable, 15 00:00:44,295 --> 00:00:48,049 and it is, most of the time. 16 00:00:48,091 --> 00:00:49,384 But geysers like this one 17 00:00:49,425 --> 00:00:51,677 are a sign of what lurks beneath us, 18 00:00:51,719 --> 00:00:57,308 ancient volcanic energies that continue to shape our planet. 19 00:00:57,350 --> 00:01:01,062 The people here today are in for an enormous surprise. 20 00:01:01,104 --> 00:01:03,272 This time, when Old Faithful blows, 21 00:01:03,314 --> 00:01:05,358 she'll unleash a fury that's been building 22 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,610 for half a million years. 23 00:01:07,652 --> 00:01:11,614 Predicting it is difficult, and no one is prepared. 24 00:01:11,656 --> 00:01:14,033 Old Faithful's a bit ahead of schedule, 25 00:01:14,075 --> 00:01:18,663 but for the rest of us, it looks like time has run out. 26 00:01:18,704 --> 00:01:20,331 [ground rumbling] 27 00:01:20,373 --> 00:01:22,166 [people screaming] 28 00:01:29,132 --> 00:01:32,093 [dramatic music] 29 00:01:32,135 --> 00:01:39,225 * * 30 00:01:50,278 --> 00:01:51,404 [people shouting] 31 00:01:51,446 --> 00:01:53,865 [cow moos] 32 00:02:00,705 --> 00:02:04,000 Welcome, my friends, to the Disaster Institute, 33 00:02:04,041 --> 00:02:08,588 a museum of catastrophic events that have happened in the past, 34 00:02:08,629 --> 00:02:13,259 are happening now, or could happen at any moment. 35 00:02:13,301 --> 00:02:15,303 These exhibits aren't for the timid. 36 00:02:15,344 --> 00:02:17,555 It's the end of the world, after all. 37 00:02:17,597 --> 00:02:20,349 But we'll also see how we can save it, 38 00:02:20,391 --> 00:02:23,019 a scientific blueprint for a better future, 39 00:02:23,061 --> 00:02:24,979 you might say. 40 00:02:25,021 --> 00:02:27,148 And our planet is a busy place. 41 00:02:27,190 --> 00:02:28,483 Always has been. 42 00:02:28,524 --> 00:02:30,026 Life is everywhere. 43 00:02:30,068 --> 00:02:33,654 But even if there were no life on our world, none at all, 44 00:02:33,696 --> 00:02:36,699 Earth would still be a very busy place. 45 00:02:36,741 --> 00:02:40,369 Hidden beneath our feet is volcanic energy. 46 00:02:40,411 --> 00:02:43,414 Sometimes, that energy breaks loose. 47 00:02:43,456 --> 00:02:46,918 Here at the museum, it's volcano night. 48 00:02:50,296 --> 00:02:51,589 The kids seem to love it. 49 00:02:51,631 --> 00:02:54,801 Me, I hate volcano night. 50 00:03:00,598 --> 00:03:04,394 On our planet, there are nearly 1,500 volcanoes. 51 00:03:04,435 --> 00:03:06,938 At least 860 of them are active. 52 00:03:06,979 --> 00:03:08,398 They can still erupt. 53 00:03:08,439 --> 00:03:11,317 A few dozen are erupting at this very moment. 54 00:03:11,359 --> 00:03:18,449 * * 55 00:03:21,702 --> 00:03:23,871 And that doesn't include the tens of thousands 56 00:03:23,913 --> 00:03:25,665 of volcanoes on the ocean floor 57 00:03:25,706 --> 00:03:27,625 that we don't know much about, 58 00:03:27,667 --> 00:03:30,420 but dozens of those, maybe even 100 or more, 59 00:03:30,461 --> 00:03:32,922 could be erupting as we speak. 60 00:03:35,675 --> 00:03:39,429 [distant clamoring and screaming] 61 00:03:39,470 --> 00:03:42,515 I'm guessing this is not a rom-com. 62 00:03:42,557 --> 00:03:45,476 [projector whirring] 63 00:03:45,518 --> 00:03:52,650 * * 64 00:03:56,654 --> 00:03:59,949 Ah, one of the first disaster flicks ever made. 65 00:03:59,991 --> 00:04:03,327 Mount Vesuvius erupted and killed 10,000 people 66 00:04:03,369 --> 00:04:05,204 in the city of Pompeii. 67 00:04:05,246 --> 00:04:09,167 Most of them suffocated after inhaling sulfur dioxide gas. 68 00:04:09,208 --> 00:04:11,085 - Bill Nye the Spoiler Guy! 69 00:04:11,127 --> 00:04:12,420 - Sorry. 70 00:04:12,462 --> 00:04:19,594 * * 71 00:04:20,762 --> 00:04:23,931 It's no surprise we're fascinated by volcanoes. 72 00:04:23,973 --> 00:04:26,809 Of the five mass extinctions here on Earth, 73 00:04:26,851 --> 00:04:29,145 three of them have been caused, at least in part, 74 00:04:29,187 --> 00:04:31,314 by volcanic eruptions. 75 00:04:31,355 --> 00:04:33,024 Just ask Kor here. 76 00:04:33,066 --> 00:04:34,942 Kor remembers. 77 00:04:34,984 --> 00:04:36,527 - [grunting] 78 00:04:41,407 --> 00:04:42,992 [volcano booms] [groans] 79 00:04:43,034 --> 00:04:44,368 - Say what you will. 80 00:04:44,410 --> 00:04:46,579 His genes are in each of us today. 81 00:04:48,915 --> 00:04:51,626 The last major eruption in the United States 82 00:04:51,667 --> 00:04:54,962 happened in Washington State just back in 1980. 83 00:04:55,004 --> 00:04:56,047 I remember. 84 00:04:56,089 --> 00:04:57,548 I was living in Seattle 85 00:04:57,590 --> 00:04:59,550 when Mount St. Helens went ballistic. 86 00:04:59,592 --> 00:05:02,095 It blasted so much ash into the atmosphere 87 00:05:02,136 --> 00:05:05,306 that 22,000 square miles were buried 88 00:05:05,348 --> 00:05:08,434 as deep as 3 feet or more. 89 00:05:08,476 --> 00:05:10,728 Dozens of people were killed. 90 00:05:10,770 --> 00:05:13,439 It was a warning of the unpredictable power 91 00:05:13,481 --> 00:05:15,525 of volcanic forces. 92 00:05:20,488 --> 00:05:24,700 Tonight, we're going to imagine something far more powerful. 93 00:05:24,742 --> 00:05:27,203 We'll use our disaster simulator 94 00:05:27,245 --> 00:05:31,916 to witness the events firsthand from three points of view. 95 00:05:33,584 --> 00:05:36,713 A young bride-to-be whose special day 96 00:05:36,754 --> 00:05:38,256 doesn't go as planned... 97 00:05:38,297 --> 00:05:39,716 [people screaming] 98 00:05:39,757 --> 00:05:44,220 A nervous traveler on a vacation from hell, 99 00:05:44,262 --> 00:05:47,598 and a scientist who sees warning signs 100 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:49,934 that others simply ignore. 101 00:05:49,976 --> 00:05:51,769 [whooshing] 102 00:05:51,811 --> 00:05:55,022 Believe it or not, a volcano 1,000 times 103 00:05:55,064 --> 00:05:57,900 the size of Mount St. Helens is about to erupt. 104 00:05:57,942 --> 00:06:00,862 The entire world lives in its shadow, 105 00:06:00,903 --> 00:06:04,574 and hardly anyone seems to know about it. 106 00:06:04,615 --> 00:06:06,784 Let's check it out. 107 00:06:08,953 --> 00:06:12,081 [animals chirping, chittering] 108 00:06:12,123 --> 00:06:15,084 [gentle music] 109 00:06:15,126 --> 00:06:22,050 * * 110 00:06:26,804 --> 00:06:30,224 Our story begins here in Yellowstone National Park 111 00:06:30,266 --> 00:06:32,310 in the not-too-distant future. 112 00:06:32,351 --> 00:06:34,353 Life is good. 113 00:06:34,395 --> 00:06:38,775 The diverse and abundant wildlife is thriving, 114 00:06:38,816 --> 00:06:41,277 and the humans are too. 115 00:06:41,319 --> 00:06:44,197 It's a record tourist season here in the park. 116 00:06:44,238 --> 00:06:46,824 In nearby Bozeman, Montana, 117 00:06:46,866 --> 00:06:50,787 the Sweet Pea Festival was, once again, a huge success. 118 00:06:50,828 --> 00:06:53,498 It's peas and a parade. 119 00:06:53,539 --> 00:06:55,708 What's not to love? 120 00:06:58,002 --> 00:07:00,755 Speaking of love, this young woman 121 00:07:00,797 --> 00:07:02,965 has earned a professorship in fine arts 122 00:07:03,007 --> 00:07:05,551 at Montana State University. 123 00:07:05,593 --> 00:07:09,555 It's a milestone for her, one of several lately. 124 00:07:11,516 --> 00:07:15,144 - Do you want to marry me? 125 00:07:15,186 --> 00:07:17,480 - [laughs] 126 00:07:17,522 --> 00:07:19,273 Yes. 127 00:07:19,315 --> 00:07:23,986 - Big dreams are coming true in Big Sky Country. 128 00:07:24,028 --> 00:07:28,324 Out here, it's fresh air, clean water, and fresh fish-- 129 00:07:28,366 --> 00:07:29,867 the wilderness-- 130 00:07:29,909 --> 00:07:32,203 far away from the stress of city life. 131 00:07:32,245 --> 00:07:35,164 [quirky music] 132 00:07:35,206 --> 00:07:36,290 * * 133 00:07:36,332 --> 00:07:37,333 I know that guy. 134 00:07:37,375 --> 00:07:38,710 Nuts? 135 00:07:38,751 --> 00:07:41,212 We flew through the Hydra storm together. 136 00:07:41,254 --> 00:07:44,173 And it was not his best day. 137 00:07:44,215 --> 00:07:48,010 Maybe this afternoon, he'll get a chance to unwind. 138 00:07:49,762 --> 00:07:51,681 Probably not, though. 139 00:07:51,723 --> 00:07:53,725 It's volcano night. 140 00:07:53,766 --> 00:07:56,728 [foreboding music] 141 00:07:56,769 --> 00:08:00,022 * * 142 00:08:00,064 --> 00:08:04,152 Don't be fooled by the serene beauty of this place. 143 00:08:04,193 --> 00:08:07,280 Yellowstone National Park sits atop one of the largest 144 00:08:07,321 --> 00:08:09,949 active volcanoes in the world. 145 00:08:09,991 --> 00:08:11,826 It's called a supervolcano 146 00:08:11,868 --> 00:08:16,456 because it has a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 8. 147 00:08:16,497 --> 00:08:18,875 That's the biggest there is. 148 00:08:18,916 --> 00:08:22,962 When this VEI 8 last blew over a half million years ago, 149 00:08:23,004 --> 00:08:25,173 it obliterated a mountain range 150 00:08:25,214 --> 00:08:27,133 and left a smoking hole in the ground 151 00:08:27,175 --> 00:08:28,801 the size of Los Angeles, 152 00:08:28,843 --> 00:08:31,804 and the air quality was even worse. 153 00:08:31,846 --> 00:08:34,265 The depression left behind by an eruption 154 00:08:34,307 --> 00:08:38,436 is called a caldera, and this one is huge. 155 00:08:38,478 --> 00:08:42,523 You know how some things are too small for the eye to see? 156 00:08:42,565 --> 00:08:45,902 Well, some things are too big for the eye to see. 157 00:08:45,943 --> 00:08:48,488 The Yellowstone volcano is so huge, 158 00:08:48,529 --> 00:08:51,407 you need a satellite view to see the whole thing. 159 00:08:51,449 --> 00:08:53,910 Even then, the giant crater has been flattened 160 00:08:53,951 --> 00:08:56,913 by 500,000 years of erosion 161 00:08:56,954 --> 00:08:59,832 and is hidden by a pristine wilderness. 162 00:08:59,874 --> 00:09:02,752 But it's there, just below the surface. 163 00:09:02,794 --> 00:09:04,796 You can feel the heat. 164 00:09:04,837 --> 00:09:09,926 * * 165 00:09:09,967 --> 00:09:12,845 [phones ringing, indistinct chatter] 166 00:09:12,887 --> 00:09:17,725 * * 167 00:09:17,767 --> 00:09:20,770 This is the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. 168 00:09:20,812 --> 00:09:23,898 Seismometers, tilt meters, and gas detectors 169 00:09:23,940 --> 00:09:25,691 are placed throughout the park 170 00:09:25,733 --> 00:09:27,819 as part of an early warning system. 171 00:09:27,860 --> 00:09:29,862 They're working here around the clock 172 00:09:29,904 --> 00:09:32,532 because they know that this serene plateau 173 00:09:32,573 --> 00:09:34,784 could blow so hard it would make Mount St. Helens 174 00:09:34,826 --> 00:09:36,744 look like a sneeze. 175 00:09:36,786 --> 00:09:39,789 Scientists here call it The Beast, 176 00:09:39,831 --> 00:09:42,458 and you can imagine why. 177 00:09:42,500 --> 00:09:45,169 [computer beeping] 178 00:09:47,630 --> 00:09:49,716 The ground here isn't just warm. 179 00:09:49,757 --> 00:09:52,093 It's the hottest in North America, 180 00:09:52,135 --> 00:09:55,388 456 degrees Fahrenheit in some places-- 181 00:09:55,430 --> 00:09:57,390 237 Celsius-- 182 00:09:57,432 --> 00:10:00,852 so hot that, in many places, it steams. 183 00:10:00,893 --> 00:10:03,312 The smell of sulfur through the air-- 184 00:10:03,354 --> 00:10:06,149 it's called "Yellowstone" because there are 185 00:10:06,190 --> 00:10:09,402 so many yellow sulfur compounds in the rocks. 186 00:10:09,444 --> 00:10:12,989 [kids laughing, indistinct chatter] 187 00:10:13,030 --> 00:10:15,074 Today, the National Park Service 188 00:10:15,116 --> 00:10:17,034 doesn't want to keep visitors away from the things 189 00:10:17,076 --> 00:10:19,912 that make Yellowstone special, 190 00:10:19,954 --> 00:10:21,622 but how many people here really know 191 00:10:21,664 --> 00:10:25,793 they're hiking, eating, and camping on a sleeping giant? 192 00:10:25,835 --> 00:10:29,380 [ground rumbling] 193 00:10:29,422 --> 00:10:32,341 [all clamoring] 194 00:10:37,472 --> 00:10:38,639 - All right? 195 00:10:38,681 --> 00:10:40,058 - Just a little earthquake, right? 196 00:10:40,099 --> 00:10:43,352 Not uncommon here to feel the earth move now and then. 197 00:10:43,394 --> 00:10:46,856 The park normally gets around 1,000 quakes a year. 198 00:10:46,898 --> 00:10:48,775 Over the past few weeks, 199 00:10:48,816 --> 00:10:50,693 there have been more like 10,000, 200 00:10:50,735 --> 00:10:52,904 often in groups they call swarms. 201 00:10:52,945 --> 00:10:54,363 And here's the thing. 202 00:10:54,405 --> 00:10:57,450 This week, they're not fitting their regular pattern. 203 00:10:57,492 --> 00:11:00,036 Our volcanologist is concerned 204 00:11:00,078 --> 00:11:02,038 that this could be a warning sign. 205 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:05,041 The odds of this supervolcano blowing its top 206 00:11:05,083 --> 00:11:06,793 are remote at best. 207 00:11:06,834 --> 00:11:08,378 Given its history, the probability 208 00:11:08,419 --> 00:11:13,299 of it happening in any given year is maybe one in 750,000. 209 00:11:13,341 --> 00:11:16,052 As of now, scientists have no way 210 00:11:16,094 --> 00:11:19,389 to know why or when this volcano will erupt, 211 00:11:19,430 --> 00:11:23,935 but there are signs if you know where to look. 212 00:11:23,976 --> 00:11:26,729 Hot springs like this one have fascinated tourists 213 00:11:26,771 --> 00:11:29,357 and scientists alike for decades, 214 00:11:29,399 --> 00:11:32,402 but right now, they're draining away. 215 00:11:32,443 --> 00:11:36,697 Red hot molten rock or magma is rising to the surface 216 00:11:36,739 --> 00:11:39,492 and causing the rock beneath the pools to fracture, 217 00:11:39,534 --> 00:11:42,245 which is causing the water that feeds the pools 218 00:11:42,286 --> 00:11:46,541 to fall through the cracks, literally. 219 00:11:46,582 --> 00:11:50,837 The ground here used to be flat, another warning sign, 220 00:11:50,878 --> 00:11:53,214 swelling caused by rising magma 221 00:11:53,256 --> 00:11:56,092 straining to breach the surface. 222 00:11:56,134 --> 00:11:58,803 But the smoking guns, so to speak, 223 00:11:58,845 --> 00:12:03,516 are these volcanic funnels or fumaroles. 224 00:12:03,558 --> 00:12:06,936 The steam is changing color. 225 00:12:06,978 --> 00:12:09,355 Bursts of old ash from long-ago eruptions 226 00:12:09,397 --> 00:12:12,108 are shooting up through the fissures. 227 00:12:12,150 --> 00:12:15,820 Wind carries that ash miles into the air. 228 00:12:15,862 --> 00:12:19,907 It'll come down somewhere. 229 00:12:19,949 --> 00:12:22,869 [soft dramatic music] 230 00:12:22,910 --> 00:12:24,370 * * 231 00:12:24,412 --> 00:12:29,083 Our newly-engaged college professor is unconcerned. 232 00:12:30,334 --> 00:12:32,295 For most people, especially those 233 00:12:32,336 --> 00:12:35,131 who live in a geologically-active area, 234 00:12:35,173 --> 00:12:37,967 a few minor shakes and spews of ash 235 00:12:38,009 --> 00:12:40,803 are not enough reason to upend their lives. 236 00:12:40,845 --> 00:12:42,680 Every time Yellowstone belches, 237 00:12:42,722 --> 00:12:46,225 there's a flurry of news reports about the supervolcano 238 00:12:46,267 --> 00:12:49,520 and how it could blow at any time, and when it does, 239 00:12:49,562 --> 00:12:52,482 oh, boy, look out. 240 00:12:52,523 --> 00:12:56,069 But we've all heard the story of the volcano who cried boom. 241 00:12:56,110 --> 00:12:58,112 A little dusting of ash isn't going to stop 242 00:12:58,154 --> 00:12:59,781 this young couple from entering 243 00:12:59,822 --> 00:13:02,533 the bonds of happy matrimony. 244 00:13:02,575 --> 00:13:04,327 It's their big day. 245 00:13:04,368 --> 00:13:05,870 You can't just cancel everything 246 00:13:05,912 --> 00:13:07,663 at the last minute, right? 247 00:13:07,705 --> 00:13:13,252 * * 248 00:13:20,468 --> 00:13:23,429 [ominous music] 249 00:13:23,471 --> 00:13:30,395 * * 250 00:13:32,730 --> 00:13:35,858 Geothermal activity is poisoning the water 251 00:13:35,900 --> 00:13:40,530 with nature's own toxic chemicals. 252 00:13:40,571 --> 00:13:42,782 Not good. 253 00:13:42,824 --> 00:13:44,742 Whew, uh, hey, buddy! 254 00:13:44,784 --> 00:13:46,786 We should probably get out of here. 255 00:13:46,828 --> 00:13:49,247 Remember me? 256 00:13:49,288 --> 00:13:52,542 - Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. 257 00:13:52,583 --> 00:13:53,543 Nope. 258 00:13:53,584 --> 00:13:56,504 [ground rumbling] 259 00:14:01,801 --> 00:14:03,261 [people screaming] 260 00:14:08,933 --> 00:14:12,520 [dramatic music] 261 00:14:12,562 --> 00:14:14,313 - So here's what happened. 262 00:14:14,355 --> 00:14:17,024 The Yellowstone supervolcano erupted, 263 00:14:17,066 --> 00:14:21,404 but only in one spot on the caldera, Old Faithful. 264 00:14:21,446 --> 00:14:25,450 The trusty geyser blew its top one last time. 265 00:14:25,491 --> 00:14:27,910 A national treasure is no more, 266 00:14:27,952 --> 00:14:31,038 and experts can't be certain that the supervolcano 267 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:33,082 won't erupt again. 268 00:14:33,124 --> 00:14:38,421 * * 269 00:14:38,463 --> 00:14:40,757 Several tourists were injured and taken 270 00:14:40,798 --> 00:14:44,010 to the hospital with broken bones, severe burns, 271 00:14:44,052 --> 00:14:46,095 and even toxic gas inhalation. 272 00:14:46,137 --> 00:14:50,391 Residents near the fissure are advised to close their windows 273 00:14:50,433 --> 00:14:55,063 and stay indoors until the noxious gases and the ashes 274 00:14:55,104 --> 00:14:56,689 have blown clear. 275 00:14:56,731 --> 00:14:59,275 People living in Bozeman and the surrounding areas 276 00:14:59,317 --> 00:15:01,861 wonder how worried they should really be. 277 00:15:01,903 --> 00:15:04,989 Do they need to drop everything and finally get out? 278 00:15:05,031 --> 00:15:07,784 Some experts are saying that Yellowstone letting off 279 00:15:07,825 --> 00:15:11,537 some steam is a good thing, and the worst is probably over. 280 00:15:11,579 --> 00:15:15,833 Besides, there are some things you just can't put on hold. 281 00:15:17,293 --> 00:15:19,462 Wait. 282 00:15:19,504 --> 00:15:22,632 You're not serving Merlot with chicken. 283 00:15:22,673 --> 00:15:25,385 - While there are scattered reports of some tourists 284 00:15:25,426 --> 00:15:26,761 and residents leaving the region, 285 00:15:26,803 --> 00:15:28,846 no evacuation orders have been given. 286 00:15:28,888 --> 00:15:30,640 Most people are fascinated by this 287 00:15:30,681 --> 00:15:31,974 once-in-a-lifetime eruption, 288 00:15:32,016 --> 00:15:34,811 and large sections of the park remain open. 289 00:15:34,852 --> 00:15:37,188 [engine roars] 290 00:15:40,650 --> 00:15:43,611 - Now, you might be thinking, Bill, what is it with us? 291 00:15:43,653 --> 00:15:48,408 We humans tend to believe that normal situations stay normal. 292 00:15:48,449 --> 00:15:51,327 Since a certain disaster has not happened before, 293 00:15:51,369 --> 00:15:53,913 it will probably never happen. 294 00:15:53,955 --> 00:15:56,958 Psychologists have a name for this way of thinking. 295 00:15:56,999 --> 00:15:59,335 It's called normalcy bias. 296 00:15:59,377 --> 00:16:01,671 And it can make people ignore a warning sign, 297 00:16:01,713 --> 00:16:03,715 even when it's right in front of them. 298 00:16:03,756 --> 00:16:07,301 Normalcy bias can explain why the people living in Pompeii 299 00:16:07,343 --> 00:16:09,345 watched the volcano, Vesuvius, 300 00:16:09,387 --> 00:16:12,390 erupt for hours without evacuating. 301 00:16:12,432 --> 00:16:14,684 It's why people refused to leave New Jersey 302 00:16:14,726 --> 00:16:17,603 as Hurricane Sandy was bearing down on them. 303 00:16:17,645 --> 00:16:21,441 It's why people on the Titanic didn't take immediate action, 304 00:16:21,482 --> 00:16:24,193 even while the so-called unsinkable ship 305 00:16:24,235 --> 00:16:26,404 was obviously, sinking. 306 00:16:26,446 --> 00:16:28,197 [ground rumbling] 307 00:16:28,239 --> 00:16:31,492 [all clamoring] 308 00:16:31,534 --> 00:16:33,703 Yellowstone hasn't had a major eruption 309 00:16:33,745 --> 00:16:36,581 for hundreds of thousands of years. 310 00:16:36,622 --> 00:16:39,792 I mean, what are the odds? 311 00:16:39,834 --> 00:16:42,837 [dramatic music] 312 00:16:42,879 --> 00:16:46,382 [indistinct chatter] 313 00:16:46,424 --> 00:16:49,093 Some experts are taking the odds 314 00:16:49,135 --> 00:16:51,012 of a bigger eruption seriously, 315 00:16:51,054 --> 00:16:52,722 but what to do about it? 316 00:16:52,764 --> 00:16:55,600 Top government officials decide to step in, 317 00:16:55,641 --> 00:16:58,186 and they're suggesting a bold experiment. 318 00:16:58,227 --> 00:17:01,439 Drill down into the rock and pump millions of gallons 319 00:17:01,481 --> 00:17:03,941 of cold water around the magma chamber 320 00:17:03,983 --> 00:17:06,652 to relieve pressure and cool it down. 321 00:17:06,694 --> 00:17:09,405 But drilling quickly and deeply into the crust 322 00:17:09,447 --> 00:17:11,532 poses a major challenge. 323 00:17:11,574 --> 00:17:13,326 Is it even possible? 324 00:17:13,367 --> 00:17:14,744 For better or for worse, 325 00:17:14,786 --> 00:17:16,996 we humans are good at drilling into the Earth 326 00:17:17,038 --> 00:17:19,749 and dressing up our pets like people, 327 00:17:19,791 --> 00:17:22,835 but we're really good at drilling. 328 00:17:22,877 --> 00:17:25,963 We already have the technology to drill and pump water 329 00:17:26,005 --> 00:17:28,049 miles deep, fracturing the ground 330 00:17:28,091 --> 00:17:30,718 to release the oil and gas trapped there. 331 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:33,054 It's called hydraulic fracturing, 332 00:17:33,096 --> 00:17:35,098 better known as fracking. 333 00:17:35,139 --> 00:17:38,434 Now, our volcanologist thinks this is a reckless idea 334 00:17:38,476 --> 00:17:41,521 that could just make things worse. 335 00:17:41,562 --> 00:17:44,107 Fracking a volcano has never been attempted, 336 00:17:44,148 --> 00:17:47,485 and with good reason, but it has been studied. 337 00:17:47,527 --> 00:17:50,113 A few years back, a group of scientists 338 00:17:50,154 --> 00:17:52,073 at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory 339 00:17:52,115 --> 00:17:55,785 investigated the possibility of relieving pressure 340 00:17:55,827 --> 00:17:58,955 in a Yellowstone magma chamber using drilling techniques 341 00:17:58,996 --> 00:18:01,707 similar to hydraulic fracturing. 342 00:18:01,749 --> 00:18:03,751 It was considered too radical. 343 00:18:03,793 --> 00:18:06,629 Our volcanologist agrees with that assessment 344 00:18:06,671 --> 00:18:08,965 and recommends a mass evacuation 345 00:18:09,006 --> 00:18:12,593 of everyone in harm's way, right away. 346 00:18:12,635 --> 00:18:14,178 But that would take weeks. 347 00:18:14,220 --> 00:18:15,972 They need to act now. 348 00:18:16,013 --> 00:18:18,975 So the drilling operation gets a green light. 349 00:18:19,016 --> 00:18:21,978 [machinery whirring] 350 00:18:22,019 --> 00:18:24,188 * * 351 00:18:24,230 --> 00:18:27,108 [machinery creaking, whooshing] 352 00:18:35,700 --> 00:18:37,744 The wells are drilled in pairs, 353 00:18:37,785 --> 00:18:39,996 and their placement is critical. 354 00:18:40,037 --> 00:18:43,332 This truck is drawing cold water from a nearby stream 355 00:18:43,374 --> 00:18:45,501 and sending it down the first well. 356 00:18:45,543 --> 00:18:48,337 When it comes up the other well, it's super hot. 357 00:18:48,379 --> 00:18:51,883 That's how they're drawing heat away from the magma chamber. 358 00:18:51,924 --> 00:18:54,677 Now, our volcanologist thinks that this drilling rig 359 00:18:54,719 --> 00:18:57,013 is too close to a fault line. 360 00:18:57,055 --> 00:18:59,682 Fracking's been known to trigger seismic activity 361 00:18:59,724 --> 00:19:01,684 in the past, and that is the last thing 362 00:19:01,726 --> 00:19:03,519 they need right now. - It won't work. 363 00:19:03,561 --> 00:19:06,314 - The drill chief disagrees. 364 00:19:06,355 --> 00:19:08,024 He's been in this business 20 years 365 00:19:08,066 --> 00:19:11,194 and he knows a thing or two about fault lines, thank you. 366 00:19:11,235 --> 00:19:14,739 - Go back to your lab, egghead. Leave the drilling to daddy. 367 00:19:18,284 --> 00:19:19,869 - What's about to happen here 368 00:19:19,911 --> 00:19:23,289 is what I like to call an act of cow. 369 00:19:23,331 --> 00:19:25,333 [dramatic music] [cow moos] 370 00:19:25,374 --> 00:19:28,378 Act of cow symbolizes the human negligence 371 00:19:28,419 --> 00:19:31,756 that can trigger a disaster or make one worse. 372 00:19:31,798 --> 00:19:33,841 It's inspired by a bovine named Daisy 373 00:19:33,883 --> 00:19:36,886 who, as legend has it, kicked over a lantern 374 00:19:36,928 --> 00:19:38,971 and started the Great Chicago Fire. 375 00:19:39,013 --> 00:19:41,140 [cow moos] 376 00:19:41,182 --> 00:19:45,520 After several hours of drilling through volcanic rock, 377 00:19:45,561 --> 00:19:48,981 our frackers accidentally disrupt a fault 378 00:19:49,023 --> 00:19:52,652 near the edge of the magma chamber. 379 00:19:52,693 --> 00:19:56,030 By pumping water into this particular fault, 380 00:19:56,072 --> 00:20:00,660 they make the rock faces slippery, and they slip. 381 00:20:00,701 --> 00:20:02,328 [machinery creaking] 382 00:20:02,370 --> 00:20:04,664 The ceiling of the magma chamber, 383 00:20:04,705 --> 00:20:06,582 which has been holding back millions 384 00:20:06,624 --> 00:20:11,295 of years of volcanic energy, is cracked open! 385 00:20:11,337 --> 00:20:13,005 [workers scream] 386 00:20:14,590 --> 00:20:17,677 [indistinct shouting] 387 00:20:18,970 --> 00:20:21,806 - Come on, come on! Come on! 388 00:20:23,015 --> 00:20:25,143 [man screams] 389 00:20:25,184 --> 00:20:28,813 [alarms blaring] 390 00:20:31,065 --> 00:20:34,026 [dramatic music] 391 00:20:34,068 --> 00:20:40,992 * * 392 00:21:06,517 --> 00:21:10,104 - Dearly beloved and honored guests, 393 00:21:10,146 --> 00:21:12,899 we are gathered here today to join this couple. 394 00:21:12,940 --> 00:21:14,942 - It's a day after the second, 395 00:21:14,984 --> 00:21:19,113 more powerful eruption along the northern rim of Yellowstone. 396 00:21:19,155 --> 00:21:21,574 A giant column of turbulent clouds 397 00:21:21,616 --> 00:21:24,118 is called an eruption plume. 398 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:26,662 It goes up 25 miles, 40 kilometers, 399 00:21:26,704 --> 00:21:30,208 all the way into the stratosphere. 400 00:21:30,249 --> 00:21:32,752 Most of the people here know that a second, 401 00:21:32,794 --> 00:21:35,755 more massive volcanic eruption is taking place. 402 00:21:35,797 --> 00:21:38,508 Others, mainly guests from out of town, 403 00:21:38,549 --> 00:21:40,593 aren't sure what it means. 404 00:21:40,635 --> 00:21:41,844 [camera shutter clicks] 405 00:21:41,886 --> 00:21:44,222 Sure, it's big and scary looking, 406 00:21:44,263 --> 00:21:46,849 but it's a safe distance away, right? 407 00:21:46,891 --> 00:21:50,019 That's gotta be 20 miles. 408 00:21:51,437 --> 00:21:53,106 Stay or go? 409 00:21:53,147 --> 00:21:55,108 Your gut's telling you to hop in your car 410 00:21:55,149 --> 00:21:58,069 and drive like hell, but it would be so rude. 411 00:21:58,111 --> 00:22:00,571 And as the bride's mother keeps saying, 412 00:22:00,613 --> 00:22:03,282 it's Courtney's big day. 413 00:22:04,784 --> 00:22:06,160 That poor bird. 414 00:22:06,202 --> 00:22:08,121 She's a harbinger of things to come. 415 00:22:08,162 --> 00:22:10,164 When we think of volcanic eruptions, 416 00:22:10,206 --> 00:22:12,417 we tend to focus on the fireworks, 417 00:22:12,458 --> 00:22:15,503 but there are other, invisible dangers as well. 418 00:22:15,545 --> 00:22:18,089 Magma releases carbon dioxide, 419 00:22:18,131 --> 00:22:20,883 sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. 420 00:22:20,925 --> 00:22:23,636 Any one of those can kill you. [volcano booms] 421 00:22:23,678 --> 00:22:25,304 We're witnessing the biggest eruption 422 00:22:25,346 --> 00:22:29,809 of the Yellowstone supervolcano in over half a million years. 423 00:22:29,851 --> 00:22:31,936 There's no stopping it now. 424 00:22:31,978 --> 00:22:35,857 [ground rumbling, thunder crashing] 425 00:22:35,898 --> 00:22:37,316 [guests shout] [thunder booms] 426 00:22:37,358 --> 00:22:40,153 [camera shutter clicking] 427 00:22:40,194 --> 00:22:42,989 Collisions between those jagged bits of volcanic ash 428 00:22:43,030 --> 00:22:45,825 create huge static electric discharges. 429 00:22:45,867 --> 00:22:47,869 It's volcanic lightning... 430 00:22:47,910 --> 00:22:49,871 [guests gasp] [shutter clicking] 431 00:22:49,912 --> 00:22:52,331 Terrifying, but a great photo. 432 00:22:56,502 --> 00:23:00,298 Normalcy bias is about to go up in smoke. 433 00:23:06,888 --> 00:23:10,016 [alarms blaring] 434 00:23:21,319 --> 00:23:24,238 [all screaming] 435 00:23:31,370 --> 00:23:32,371 - Hang on! 436 00:23:32,413 --> 00:23:35,374 [ominous music] 437 00:23:35,416 --> 00:23:42,340 * * 438 00:23:54,352 --> 00:23:57,313 [all screaming] 439 00:24:00,608 --> 00:24:03,319 [glass, materials shattering] 440 00:24:07,281 --> 00:24:10,159 - Emergency evacuation orders have been issued 441 00:24:10,201 --> 00:24:13,079 for Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and North Dakota. 442 00:24:13,121 --> 00:24:15,706 The eruption continues to grow in magnitude. 443 00:24:15,748 --> 00:24:20,294 * * 444 00:24:20,336 --> 00:24:23,464 - Right now, I'm being chased by a 1,000-degree avalanche 445 00:24:23,506 --> 00:24:28,177 of ash and gas, a pyroclastic death cloud, 446 00:24:28,219 --> 00:24:31,472 the most hazardous thing a volcano can unleash. 447 00:24:31,514 --> 00:24:34,559 It's incinerating everything in its path. 448 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:37,437 Cities within 500 miles of the caldera 449 00:24:37,478 --> 00:24:40,815 will be buried or burned to the ground within hours. 450 00:24:43,776 --> 00:24:45,653 Volcano night. 451 00:24:45,695 --> 00:24:48,072 It's a blast. 452 00:24:48,114 --> 00:24:50,116 The cloud is gaining on us. 453 00:24:50,158 --> 00:24:52,744 It's going about as fast as a fighter jet, 454 00:24:52,785 --> 00:24:55,246 maybe 500 miles an hour. 455 00:24:55,288 --> 00:24:57,582 This car doesn't go quite that fast. 456 00:25:02,587 --> 00:25:05,506 [coughing] 457 00:25:07,842 --> 00:25:10,970 [continues coughing] 458 00:25:17,977 --> 00:25:20,980 [wind whooshing] 459 00:25:21,022 --> 00:25:23,941 [somber music] 460 00:25:23,983 --> 00:25:31,115 * * 461 00:26:05,983 --> 00:26:13,074 * * 462 00:26:21,999 --> 00:26:24,919 [dramatic music] 463 00:26:24,961 --> 00:26:30,425 * * 464 00:26:30,466 --> 00:26:32,635 - I'm back from my own demise 465 00:26:32,677 --> 00:26:36,180 as our disaster simulation comes to its fiery end. 466 00:26:36,222 --> 00:26:39,267 When magma reaches the surface, we call it lava. 467 00:26:39,308 --> 00:26:41,561 Right now, lava is flowing. 468 00:26:41,602 --> 00:26:43,604 And that's a good sign, actually. 469 00:26:43,646 --> 00:26:46,482 Molten rock, magma, is being released. 470 00:26:46,524 --> 00:26:50,403 That means the most violent part of the eruption is over. 471 00:26:50,445 --> 00:26:52,905 But the climate catastrophe has only just begun. 472 00:26:52,947 --> 00:26:56,200 Those sulfur compounds get blasted into the upper reaches 473 00:26:56,242 --> 00:26:59,120 of the atmosphere and winds carry the particles 474 00:26:59,162 --> 00:27:00,872 around the world. 475 00:27:00,913 --> 00:27:03,791 The particles scatter sunlight back into space, 476 00:27:03,833 --> 00:27:05,877 cooling the entire planet. 477 00:27:05,918 --> 00:27:08,629 We call it volcanic winter. 478 00:27:08,671 --> 00:27:11,966 And it's a season the world never saw coming. 479 00:27:12,008 --> 00:27:14,218 No preparations were ever conceived 480 00:27:14,260 --> 00:27:16,888 for such a global catastrophe, 481 00:27:16,929 --> 00:27:18,222 no way to handle ash 482 00:27:18,264 --> 00:27:20,141 contaminating the water supplies, 483 00:27:20,183 --> 00:27:22,602 no food stockpiles, nothing. 484 00:27:22,643 --> 00:27:24,270 Whew. 485 00:27:24,312 --> 00:27:25,438 I don't know about you, 486 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:28,649 but I could use a shower and some science. 487 00:27:28,691 --> 00:27:34,280 Let's hit the lab, where it's a lot cooler and a lot cleaner. 488 00:27:39,118 --> 00:27:40,828 So what can we do? 489 00:27:40,870 --> 00:27:42,580 It might seem impossible. 490 00:27:42,622 --> 00:27:45,249 I mean, volcanoes have been here since Earth was formed, 491 00:27:45,291 --> 00:27:47,126 and they're not going anywhere. 492 00:27:47,168 --> 00:27:49,253 But there are ways to live with them, 493 00:27:49,295 --> 00:27:51,631 and there are even ways to love them. 494 00:27:51,672 --> 00:27:53,549 I know this is true because we've also 495 00:27:53,591 --> 00:27:55,885 been benefiting from volcanoes 496 00:27:55,927 --> 00:27:58,096 for a long, long time. 497 00:27:58,137 --> 00:27:59,889 You see, volcanoes are unique 498 00:27:59,931 --> 00:28:02,558 in this Disaster Institute of ours. 499 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:05,561 Along with their astonishing destructive power, 500 00:28:05,603 --> 00:28:08,356 they also bring life to landscapes. 501 00:28:08,398 --> 00:28:12,360 It's what I call the volcano paradox. 502 00:28:12,402 --> 00:28:15,696 To understand this Jekyll and Hyde geological conundrum, 503 00:28:15,738 --> 00:28:20,576 we'll need to find out why volcanoes exist at all. 504 00:28:20,618 --> 00:28:24,956 As a kid, I thought volcanoes were amazing and cool. 505 00:28:24,997 --> 00:28:27,917 As a grown-up, I feel the same way. 506 00:28:27,959 --> 00:28:29,961 They're amazing and hot. 507 00:28:30,002 --> 00:28:32,088 It makes me wanna go prospecting 508 00:28:32,130 --> 00:28:33,965 to see where all that energy comes from. 509 00:28:34,006 --> 00:28:37,635 What makes rock hot enough to flow and melt like water? 510 00:28:37,677 --> 00:28:40,805 It's this heat that gives volcanoes their power 511 00:28:40,847 --> 00:28:43,266 to destroy and to create. 512 00:28:43,307 --> 00:28:46,269 They're our OG frenemy. 513 00:28:46,310 --> 00:28:50,314 The deeper you go inside the Earth, the hotter it gets. 514 00:28:50,356 --> 00:28:53,067 All of that heat had to come from somewhere. 515 00:28:53,109 --> 00:28:55,611 Let's track it to its source, 516 00:28:55,653 --> 00:28:59,157 which goes back a few billion years. 517 00:28:59,198 --> 00:29:02,118 [gentle music] 518 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:09,292 * * 519 00:29:13,212 --> 00:29:17,925 This is, near as we can tell, how our solar system formed. 520 00:29:17,967 --> 00:29:21,012 Cosmic gas and dust were blown into the void 521 00:29:21,054 --> 00:29:25,349 when distant stars exploded and spewed their guts out. 522 00:29:25,391 --> 00:29:28,811 Gravity drew the dust into a spinning disk. 523 00:29:28,853 --> 00:29:32,690 Dust gathered into pebbles, which became boulders, 524 00:29:32,732 --> 00:29:35,234 some of which became our Earth. 525 00:29:35,276 --> 00:29:37,737 When you or the force of gravity 526 00:29:37,779 --> 00:29:41,407 crush all that dust down to a ball the size of our planet, 527 00:29:41,449 --> 00:29:44,285 that crushing motion generates a lot of friction 528 00:29:44,327 --> 00:29:46,120 that becomes heat. 529 00:29:46,162 --> 00:29:47,622 Some of that heat is still stored 530 00:29:47,663 --> 00:29:50,875 in Earth's core, along with radioactive elements 531 00:29:50,917 --> 00:29:53,419 from those exploding stars. 532 00:29:53,461 --> 00:29:55,380 Earth is a nuclear furnace. 533 00:29:55,421 --> 00:29:58,174 It's why we still have volcanoes popping off 534 00:29:58,216 --> 00:30:00,760 4 and 1/2 billion years later. 535 00:30:00,802 --> 00:30:02,970 [mystical music] 536 00:30:03,012 --> 00:30:05,556 And Earth is not the only place this happens. 537 00:30:05,598 --> 00:30:08,393 No, my friends, volcanoes are everywhere 538 00:30:08,434 --> 00:30:10,103 in our solar system. 539 00:30:10,144 --> 00:30:13,314 The largest one is Olympus Mons. 540 00:30:13,356 --> 00:30:14,857 It's on Mars, 541 00:30:14,899 --> 00:30:18,319 but the volcanoes on Mars are dead today. 542 00:30:18,361 --> 00:30:21,406 Mars is also one big, desert planet. 543 00:30:21,447 --> 00:30:23,074 That's no coincidence. 544 00:30:23,116 --> 00:30:25,410 No volcanoes, no life-- 545 00:30:25,451 --> 00:30:29,038 which brings us back to the volcano paradox. 546 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:32,458 Sure, volcanoes are temperamental and toxic, 547 00:30:32,500 --> 00:30:35,253 but we also owe our very existence 548 00:30:35,294 --> 00:30:37,547 to these volatile beasts. 549 00:30:37,588 --> 00:30:39,590 You can see the paradox in action 550 00:30:39,632 --> 00:30:43,344 right now in the aptly named town 551 00:30:43,386 --> 00:30:46,889 of Ashfall, Nebraska. 552 00:30:46,931 --> 00:30:49,475 Ashfall is known for its soil. 553 00:30:49,517 --> 00:30:51,894 It's part of what's called America's breadbasket 554 00:30:51,936 --> 00:30:54,313 because so much of the food we humans eat 555 00:30:54,355 --> 00:30:55,982 is grown here. 556 00:30:56,023 --> 00:30:59,777 This fertile grassland was once buried in ash 557 00:30:59,819 --> 00:31:03,030 from an earlier eruption of the Yellowstone volcano, 558 00:31:03,072 --> 00:31:08,119 which is 900 miles, 1,500 kilometers from here. 559 00:31:08,161 --> 00:31:09,579 It was blown here-- 560 00:31:09,620 --> 00:31:13,791 no, wait, it was blasted here from what is now Wyoming. 561 00:31:13,833 --> 00:31:15,376 [imitates explosion] 562 00:31:15,418 --> 00:31:18,671 The volcano left quite a calling card. 563 00:31:20,506 --> 00:31:22,842 12 million years ago, that eruption 564 00:31:22,884 --> 00:31:26,304 smothered and preserved these ancient creatures, 565 00:31:26,345 --> 00:31:27,764 thousands of them. 566 00:31:27,805 --> 00:31:32,060 It's like Pompeii in northeastern Nebraska. 567 00:31:32,101 --> 00:31:33,853 Here at the Ashfall Fossil Beds, 568 00:31:33,895 --> 00:31:36,773 scientists are reading the skeleton map, 569 00:31:36,814 --> 00:31:39,650 sorting through the remains of rhinoceroses, 570 00:31:39,692 --> 00:31:44,072 three-toed horses, and saber-toothed deer. 571 00:31:44,113 --> 00:31:46,699 That's right, Bambi with fangs-- 572 00:31:46,741 --> 00:31:49,118 totally different movie, by the way. 573 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:52,413 They were minding their own vampire deer business, 574 00:31:52,455 --> 00:31:54,999 taking a meeting at their local watering hole, 575 00:31:55,041 --> 00:31:56,667 and blam! 576 00:31:56,709 --> 00:32:00,296 They were buried and mummified under hot, dry ash. 577 00:32:00,338 --> 00:32:02,507 We can even see the seeds of the plants 578 00:32:02,548 --> 00:32:06,052 they had for lunch in their ancient tummies. 579 00:32:06,094 --> 00:32:08,388 It's a little creepy. 580 00:32:08,429 --> 00:32:09,847 And amazing. 581 00:32:09,889 --> 00:32:13,684 Okay, here's the death part of what volcanoes can do. 582 00:32:13,726 --> 00:32:16,521 You might ask, what about the paradox, 583 00:32:16,562 --> 00:32:20,024 the part where volcanoes are bringers of life? 584 00:32:20,066 --> 00:32:22,026 Volcanoes feed us. 585 00:32:22,068 --> 00:32:25,947 Ash from volcanoes is made of ancient molten rock, 586 00:32:25,988 --> 00:32:29,617 which was even more ancient exploded stardust. 587 00:32:29,659 --> 00:32:33,204 It's loaded with phosphorus and potassium. 588 00:32:33,246 --> 00:32:35,623 Check out this bucket of fertilizer. 589 00:32:37,583 --> 00:32:40,211 These minerals are listed on the label. 590 00:32:40,253 --> 00:32:42,588 Plants need them to thrive and reproduce. 591 00:32:42,630 --> 00:32:45,842 We need plants to eat. 592 00:32:48,928 --> 00:32:52,724 With time, volcanic deposits become among the richest 593 00:32:52,765 --> 00:32:54,892 agricultural lands on Earth 594 00:32:54,934 --> 00:32:57,562 because they contain these essential nutrients 595 00:32:57,603 --> 00:32:59,981 and they hold water really well. 596 00:33:00,022 --> 00:33:03,276 The American Midwest is the world's breadbasket 597 00:33:03,317 --> 00:33:07,947 precisely because Yellowstone erupted millions of years ago 598 00:33:07,989 --> 00:33:12,368 and dumped all that ash right here. 599 00:33:12,410 --> 00:33:14,996 [dramatic music] 600 00:33:17,081 --> 00:33:20,043 All over the planet, wherever we find a volcano, 601 00:33:20,084 --> 00:33:23,838 we find lush ecosystems and thriving agriculture 602 00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:26,924 made possible by volcanic eruptions. 603 00:33:26,966 --> 00:33:29,761 That's the price of admission for living in a paradise. 604 00:33:29,802 --> 00:33:31,721 Hell could be right around the corner 605 00:33:31,763 --> 00:33:33,806 or right up the mountainside. 606 00:33:33,848 --> 00:33:36,059 More than a few scientists believe 607 00:33:36,100 --> 00:33:40,897 that volcanoes may have given rise to life itself. 608 00:33:40,938 --> 00:33:42,398 [gentle music] 609 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:46,611 To grow and thrive and reproduce, life needs energy. 610 00:33:46,652 --> 00:33:49,614 Biologists have suggested that life on our planet 611 00:33:49,655 --> 00:33:52,283 may have gotten its start near volcanic vents 612 00:33:52,325 --> 00:33:54,035 on the ocean floor. 613 00:33:54,077 --> 00:33:56,662 That heat shot up from Earth's insides 614 00:33:56,704 --> 00:33:59,624 and supercharged the nutrient-rich seawater, 615 00:33:59,665 --> 00:34:02,960 creating the primordial chemical reactions 616 00:34:03,002 --> 00:34:05,129 that gave rise to complex molecules 617 00:34:05,171 --> 00:34:07,840 that could make copies of themselves. 618 00:34:07,882 --> 00:34:11,135 And four billion years later, here we are. 619 00:34:11,177 --> 00:34:12,720 Wild. 620 00:34:12,762 --> 00:34:15,765 But the volcano's greatest gift 621 00:34:15,807 --> 00:34:20,686 may prove to be the greatest natural resource ever known. 622 00:34:25,608 --> 00:34:29,195 [gentle music] 623 00:34:29,237 --> 00:34:32,532 - Here, in the beautiful Italian countryside in Tuscany, 624 00:34:32,573 --> 00:34:35,410 people have enjoyed sulfuric hot springs 625 00:34:35,451 --> 00:34:37,703 since ancient times. 626 00:34:37,745 --> 00:34:41,040 Another gift from volcanoes, hot mineral baths 627 00:34:41,082 --> 00:34:44,752 are known for their supposed health-giving properties. 628 00:34:44,794 --> 00:34:47,880 Until one day, somebody realized 629 00:34:47,922 --> 00:34:50,675 that the underground reservoirs of heat 630 00:34:50,717 --> 00:34:55,805 could provide more than a relaxing day at the spa. 631 00:34:55,847 --> 00:34:59,559 An Italian aristocrat named Prince Piero Ginori Conti 632 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:01,644 got the idea to dig wells 633 00:35:01,686 --> 00:35:03,730 to access the steam and hot water, 634 00:35:03,771 --> 00:35:06,983 driving a turbine connected to a generator. 635 00:35:07,024 --> 00:35:10,987 Conti's generator was able to produce 10 kilowatts of power. 636 00:35:11,028 --> 00:35:13,906 From these humble beginnings, the geothermal potential 637 00:35:13,948 --> 00:35:16,117 deep inside the Earth was expanded, 638 00:35:16,159 --> 00:35:18,494 and the world's first geothermal power plant 639 00:35:18,536 --> 00:35:22,498 was completed in 1913. 640 00:35:22,540 --> 00:35:24,834 That roiling fire inside Earth 641 00:35:24,876 --> 00:35:27,628 can spin turbines to power generators 642 00:35:27,670 --> 00:35:29,714 that make electricity. 643 00:35:29,756 --> 00:35:32,175 Geothermal is a clean source of energy 644 00:35:32,216 --> 00:35:33,843 that we will never deplete. 645 00:35:33,885 --> 00:35:37,263 It will be available for as long as Earth exists, 646 00:35:37,305 --> 00:35:39,849 and it never shuts down. 647 00:35:39,891 --> 00:35:42,560 Geothermal power plants produce electricity 648 00:35:42,602 --> 00:35:45,521 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 649 00:35:45,563 --> 00:35:48,399 regardless of the weather. 650 00:35:48,441 --> 00:35:52,028 Unlike fossil fuels and their toxic emissions, 651 00:35:52,070 --> 00:35:57,158 geothermal's only byproduct is steam, harmless water. 652 00:35:57,200 --> 00:36:00,036 Now geothermal provides a little electricity 653 00:36:00,078 --> 00:36:02,371 in California, a lot in Iceland, 654 00:36:02,413 --> 00:36:06,375 and yet, globally, it's less than half a percent. 655 00:36:06,417 --> 00:36:08,044 So what are we waiting for? 656 00:36:08,086 --> 00:36:11,214 Geothermal is Earth's own nuclear power 657 00:36:11,255 --> 00:36:12,548 without the waste. 658 00:36:12,590 --> 00:36:14,217 It's down there. 659 00:36:14,258 --> 00:36:15,551 Let's go get it. 660 00:36:15,593 --> 00:36:19,013 Let's harness that volcanic fire. 661 00:36:22,266 --> 00:36:25,561 In order to tap into the full potential of geothermal, 662 00:36:25,603 --> 00:36:27,563 we'll have to go beyond the places 663 00:36:27,605 --> 00:36:29,649 where nature has already sent hot water 664 00:36:29,690 --> 00:36:31,484 bubbling up to the surface. 665 00:36:31,526 --> 00:36:34,070 We have to drill down over a mile, 666 00:36:34,112 --> 00:36:36,280 a couple of kilometers into the hot Earth. 667 00:36:36,322 --> 00:36:39,200 Fortunately, we know exactly how to do that. 668 00:36:39,242 --> 00:36:42,912 Our primary fossil fuels are oil and natural gas, 669 00:36:42,954 --> 00:36:45,415 which we pump up from deep underground. 670 00:36:45,456 --> 00:36:49,377 Like I said, we're really good at drilling for stuff. 671 00:36:49,419 --> 00:36:53,589 Fracking and geothermal drilling are the same concept, 672 00:36:53,631 --> 00:36:55,800 but with very different outcomes. 673 00:36:55,842 --> 00:36:57,802 Both technologies involve pumping 674 00:36:57,844 --> 00:37:01,264 high-pressure water into underground rock formations. 675 00:37:01,305 --> 00:37:05,351 Fracking unlocks fossil fuels, while geothermal drilling 676 00:37:05,393 --> 00:37:09,230 unlocks the heat trapped deep inside the Earth-- 677 00:37:09,272 --> 00:37:12,358 clean, limitless energy. 678 00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:15,153 The geothermal heat from Yellowstone alone 679 00:37:15,194 --> 00:37:17,697 could provide all the energy we need 680 00:37:17,739 --> 00:37:19,907 in the continental United States. 681 00:37:19,949 --> 00:37:23,077 And it can be done safely, away from fault lines 682 00:37:23,119 --> 00:37:25,413 and other geologic instability 683 00:37:25,455 --> 00:37:30,001 so we can preserve the natural beauty of places like this. 684 00:37:33,004 --> 00:37:36,090 So what about the dangerous part of volcanoes? 685 00:37:36,132 --> 00:37:39,719 How do we stop those big, unpredictable eruptions 686 00:37:39,761 --> 00:37:43,514 that could threaten our civilization? 687 00:37:43,556 --> 00:37:47,435 The fact is, we can't kill volcanoes. 688 00:37:47,477 --> 00:37:51,147 But we can be better at predicting future eruptions. 689 00:37:51,189 --> 00:37:53,816 Geothermal drilling would give scientists 690 00:37:53,858 --> 00:37:55,818 a deeper look at fault lines 691 00:37:55,860 --> 00:37:58,029 and other subterranean features. 692 00:37:58,071 --> 00:38:00,865 By mapping the inner Earth, we could detect 693 00:38:00,907 --> 00:38:03,159 significant magma build up weeks, 694 00:38:03,201 --> 00:38:05,912 or maybe even years in advance. 695 00:38:05,953 --> 00:38:08,164 Geologists can also get a deeper look 696 00:38:08,206 --> 00:38:11,459 at the magma's chemistry and its physical properties. 697 00:38:11,501 --> 00:38:13,544 We could forecast a future eruption 698 00:38:13,586 --> 00:38:15,004 with far more accuracy. 699 00:38:15,046 --> 00:38:17,507 So along with clean electrical power, 700 00:38:17,548 --> 00:38:19,926 we'd get better predictive power. 701 00:38:19,967 --> 00:38:22,845 But none of that matters if we're not prepared. 702 00:38:22,887 --> 00:38:25,473 We can get past our normalcy bias 703 00:38:25,515 --> 00:38:29,143 and put systems in place, like immediate disaster relief 704 00:38:29,185 --> 00:38:31,687 and longer-term plans to deal with the impact 705 00:38:31,729 --> 00:38:34,482 on agriculture and the economy. 706 00:38:34,524 --> 00:38:38,486 Let's develop new methods for growing crops more efficiently 707 00:38:38,528 --> 00:38:40,279 with less water and energy, 708 00:38:40,321 --> 00:38:43,574 along with better ways of storing substantial supplies 709 00:38:43,616 --> 00:38:45,493 for long-term emergencies. 710 00:38:45,535 --> 00:38:46,911 [phone blares] 711 00:38:46,953 --> 00:38:49,205 Predictive algorithms will enable 712 00:38:49,247 --> 00:38:52,208 smartphone apps to warn of impending eruptions 713 00:38:52,250 --> 00:38:54,502 days in advance. 714 00:38:54,544 --> 00:38:57,672 There would be a nationwide plan for food stockpiles 715 00:38:57,714 --> 00:38:59,048 and seed banks, 716 00:38:59,090 --> 00:39:01,884 and we'd have methods of filtering ash out 717 00:39:01,926 --> 00:39:03,678 of the water supply, 718 00:39:03,720 --> 00:39:07,181 a wide-scale doomsday prep for everyone. 719 00:39:07,223 --> 00:39:10,727 The fertile soil created by erupting volcanoes 720 00:39:10,768 --> 00:39:14,230 would continue to feed the world. 721 00:39:14,272 --> 00:39:21,237 * * 722 00:39:21,279 --> 00:39:24,282 [birds chirping] 723 00:39:24,323 --> 00:39:27,243 [indistinct chatter] 724 00:39:29,495 --> 00:39:31,164 For 4 billion years, 725 00:39:31,205 --> 00:39:33,458 the Earth has been doing its own thing. 726 00:39:33,499 --> 00:39:35,460 Now, with a little effort, 727 00:39:35,501 --> 00:39:38,087 Earth can help us do our thing. 728 00:39:38,129 --> 00:39:41,340 We can take some of that bottled up furious heat 729 00:39:41,382 --> 00:39:44,093 and turn it into clean energy. 730 00:39:44,135 --> 00:39:46,429 We're ready to face the future... 731 00:39:46,471 --> 00:39:49,807 - And kiss the bride. - For better or for worse. 732 00:39:49,849 --> 00:39:52,977 [cheers and applause] 733 00:40:05,656 --> 00:40:08,868 It's just--it's a little ash. 734 00:40:10,536 --> 00:40:13,081 I'll be okay. [sniffles] 735 00:40:18,252 --> 00:40:20,046 - So what have we learned? 736 00:40:20,088 --> 00:40:22,799 Volcano night is the original hot mess. 737 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:26,427 When they erupt, volcanoes unleash hell on Earth, 738 00:40:26,469 --> 00:40:29,222 but they can also create paradise. 739 00:40:29,263 --> 00:40:31,849 It's the volcano paradox. 740 00:40:31,891 --> 00:40:33,393 The key to living with it lies in 741 00:40:33,434 --> 00:40:35,978 our scientific understanding and our willingness 742 00:40:36,020 --> 00:40:38,606 to act based on hard-earned knowledge. 743 00:40:38,648 --> 00:40:41,025 We can learn to minimize the danger. 744 00:40:41,067 --> 00:40:42,568 We can even harness the otherwise 745 00:40:42,610 --> 00:40:44,946 catastrophic forces of our planet 746 00:40:44,987 --> 00:40:47,156 to power civilization itself. 747 00:40:47,198 --> 00:40:49,283 How cool is that? 748 00:40:49,325 --> 00:40:52,036 So far, our species has had a funny blind spot 749 00:40:52,078 --> 00:40:54,330 when it comes to these kinds of things. 750 00:40:54,372 --> 00:40:57,542 We can know about a grave danger and live in denial. 751 00:40:57,583 --> 00:40:59,752 We can know about a priceless resource 752 00:40:59,794 --> 00:41:01,629 and look the other way. 753 00:41:01,671 --> 00:41:04,841 It's the human paradox. 754 00:41:04,882 --> 00:41:07,385 Let's figure it out.