From the Pacific’s Ring of Fire to the fjords of Patagonia, we live in a world of extremes. To understand what this reveals about our planet, planetary geologist Jim Zimbelman takes us on a virtual tour of the great volcanoes on Earth. Zimbelman describes the different types of eruptions, their causes, and what we can learn about the Earth’s interior from the fiery activity on its surface.

Then Zimbelman turns to the Beagle Channel, Iceland, and Alaska, where glaciers—huge rivers of moving ice—slowly grind across the Earth’s surface. By studying core samples from ice fields around the world, scientists can learn much about the climatic history of the Earth.

Zimbelman is a geologist in the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Air and Space Museum.

Smithsonian Connections

Go on a cruise to explore southeast Alaska's majestic Inside Passage, Alaska's Coastal wilderness.
             
Go on a small-group tour to experience the natural beauty and geological wonders of Iceland.