Volcanoes Of The Deep Sea

Filmstart: September 9, 2003. Länge: 40 min.

Volcanoes of the Deep Sea delivers the first high-fidelity experience of the great ocean depths. Aboard the submersible Alvin, a pair of scientists plunge twelve thousand feet into the deep Atlantic. They explore astounding volcanic habitats on the crest of the Mid-Ocean Ridge and investigate a mysterious living fossil that is decorating the deep with its strange, symmetrical imprint. On the Mid-Ocean Ridge, miles beneath the surface of the sea, in environments of crushing pressure, extreme temperatures, and toxic water, thrive dense communities of life denser, perhaps, than anywhere else on Earth. At a site called TAG, located in the Atlantic under 12,000 feet of water, another geologist, Peter Rona has discovered an unusual pattern in the sediment. The imprint, a strangely symmetrical hexagonal array of holes, appears to be the product of an unknown organism. Although the creature has never been seen, evidence suggests it may be a living fossil and among the first complex organisms to emerge on Earth. Through an extraordinary visual and scientific journey, Volcanoes of the Deep Sea reveals the unique characteristics of the greatest mountain chain on Earth, its connection to our tumultuous, changing planet and its profound and powerful influence on the life of this world.