Voyage of the Continents

The history of Oceania is the history of the Earth as a whole. Welded to Antarctica for millions of years, Australia is today a deserted landscape that enjoys extraordinary stability. Its neighbours do not share the same luck. New Zealand is perilously located between two tectonic plates, and the volcanic islands of the Southern Pacific could explode and disappear.

The history of Asia is awash with superlatives. Along with teams of scientists, we discover the incredible volcanic phenomenon that caused the greatest extinction of all time. Asia was the theatre of the world's most violent tectonic collision, and has witnessed the birth of the Earth's highest summits.

The tectonic activity in the south of the continent extends as far as Nepal and the Tibetan plain. China is also affected and, like Japan, is exposed to daily earthquakes. The volcanism of the entire region, in Japan and in Indonesia, is both a danger and a resource, and many risk their lives to exploit it. These tremendous phenomena are the fruits of the ceaseless Voyage of the Continents.

Each impact caused cataclysms on a tremendous scale, creating a world of chaotic forms and bright colours. Over time, mountain chains that were even higher than the Himalayas sprung up in Scandinavia and Scotland, where today the great central plains lie. After millions of years of erosion, Europe became a sea floor. It has been invaded by unusual life forms, and some have modified the continent.

Scientists working in the field will provide us with an understanding of the history of our Earth, and its majestic and destructive phenomena. The birth of the Alps, the disappearance of the Mediterranean, outstanding underground areas, and imminent earthquakes are only some of the forms brought about as a result of the ceaseless Voyage of the Continents.

North America's mountain chains and huge plateaus were formed by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and the odd ice age. Here we travel from the Canadian Shield, across the Grand Canyon and to the Rockies to understand the extraordinary geological forces at play. We even look into the future, when part of California should be an island in the Pacific!