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Lava Hunters

Season 1
TV-PG

  • TLC
  • 1h
  • United States
  • Documentary, Special Interest
Volcanoes hold some clues in the search for answers to "How did our Earth and Universe come into existence?" They have fascinated French volcanologist Jacques Durieux all his life and he shares his in depth knowledge and experience in this series. The Lava Hunters looks at the story of volcanology, spanning its time as a young science and revealing both ancient and recent historical volcanological findings: such as the birth of Surtsey Island, the eruption of Iceland's Laki; the spectacular Mount St. Helens eruption as well as new research into magma, submarine volcanoes and the recent discovery of volcanoes on other planets.

3 episodes

Series Premiere

1x01 Living on the Edge

  • no air date1h

Part 1 shows footage of the almost 150 volcanic eruptions witnessed by Maurice and Katia Krafft, including the 1973 blast that buried the village of Heimay (on the Westman Islands off southern Iceland) under 40 feet of ash. Also, Professor John Delaney of Washington State University sets out to prove that in addition to creating new land for life to colonize, undersea geo-thermal vents may be the Darwinian "Eden" in which all life began.

1x02 Shaping Our World

  • no air date1h

Part 2 examines the eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia, in November 1985. The blast melted a glacier above sending torrents of mud and ash down the mountain. Just before midnight, a wall of mud 150 feet tall ripped through a town 30 miles away. Over 22,000 people lost their lives, forcing scientists to rework their warning systems. In response to this tragedy, a crisis response team was formed in Vancouver, Washington. The Volcanic Disaster Assistance Program is capable of reacting to volcanic emergencies anywhere in the world.

1x03 Taming the Dragon

  • no air date1h

Part 3 follows volcanologist Jacques Durieux from Mount Vesuvius, Europe's most dangerous volcano, to a volcano in Indonesia named Merapi, which erupted in 1998, forcing thousands to flee their homes. He also visits the Great Rift Valley of Africa, formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago. Scientists see this same area as the birthplace of mankind.

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