The World’s Greatest Geological Wonders

Overview

Course No. 1712

Shaped by erosion, plate tectonics, volcanic eruptions, and other processes over billions of years, Earth is a planet of immense variety. This awe-inspiring course explores 36 of the most spectacular geological wonders, revealing the profound stories behind their formation.

Featured Wonders:

• Ha Long Bay (Vietnam): A karst landscape of towering limestone pillars sculpted by rain and groundwater.
• Columbia Glacier (Alaska): A 50-km river of ice advancing and retreating for mysterious reasons.
• Erta Ale (Ethiopia): Home to the world’s longest-running active lava lake.
• Great Blue Hole (Belize): A perfect sinkhole revealing Earth’s glacial history.

Video Lectures

01: Santorini – Impact of Volcanic Eruptions (33 min)

Explore the Greek island of Santorini, a relic of a volcanic eruption that shaped ancient Mediterranean history.

02: Mount Fuji – Sleeping Power (33 min)

Discover the origin of Japan’s sacred symmetrical volcano and the conditions that form such cones.

03: Galapagos Rift – Wonders of Mid-Ocean Ridges (32 min)

Investigate the volcanic hotspot and marine biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands.

04: African Rift Valley – Cracks into the Earth (29 min)

Witness tectonic forces splitting Africa apart, forming a future ocean and preserving early human fossils.

05: Erta Ale – Compact Fury of Lava Lakes (27 min)

Study Ethiopia’s seething lava lake, a miniature model of plate tectonics.

06: Burgess Shale – Rocks and the Keys to Life (31 min)

Unearth the evolutionary secrets in British Columbia’s fossil-rich quarry.

07: The Grand Canyon – Earth’s Layers (31 min)

Decode the mile-deep rock layers revealing the canyon’s formation and visual grandeur.

08: The Himalayas – Mountains at Earth’s Roof (30 min)

Learn how the Tibetan Plateau and Mount Everest shaped global climate.

09: The Ganges Delta – Earth’s Fertile Lands (30 min)

Examine the delta’s biodiversity and its sacred, life-sustaining yet destructive river.

10: The Amazon Basin – Lungs of the Planet (31 min)

Trace the river network fueling 20% of Earth’s freshwater flow and oxygen production.

11: Iguazu Falls – Thundering Waterfalls (28 min)

Explore Brazil/Argentina’s 275 falls, linked to a Mid-Atlantic Ridge hotspot.

12: Mammoth Cave – Worlds Underground (31 min)

Tour Kentucky’s 390-mile cave system carved by groundwater.

13: Cave of Crystals – Exquisite Caves (30 min)

Marvel at Mexico’s giant selenite crystals, some reaching 35 feet.

14: Great Blue Hole – Coastal Symmetry in Sinkholes (32 min)

Decipher Belize’s circular sinkhole and its glacial-era origins.

15: Ha Long Bay – Dramatic Karst Landscapes (30 min)

Analyze Vietnam’s limestone towers formed by missing rock.

16: Bryce Canyon – Creative Carvings of Erosion (31 min)

Unravel the mystery of Utah’s hoodoos, shaped without a river.

17: Uluru/Ayers Rock – Sacred Nature of Rocks (32 min)

Study Australia’s iconic monolith and its tectonic history.

18: Devils Tower – Igneous Enigmas (31 min)

Investigate Wyoming’s hexagonal columns and their volcanic origins.

19: Antarctica – A World of Ice (32 min)

Explore the icy continent’s geology and its role in Mars research.

20: Columbia Glacier – Unusual Glacier Cycles (30 min)

Track Alaska’s retreating glacier, a climate change indicator.

21: Fiordland National Park – Majestic Fjords (32 min)

Admire New Zealand’s flooded valleys and tectonic drama.

22: Rock of Gibraltar – Catastrophic Floods (32 min)

Relive the Mediterranean’s sea-level chaos at this Atlantic gateway.

23: Bay of Fundy – Inexorable Cycle of Tides (31 min)

Learn why Canada’s bay has the world’s highest tides.

24: Hawaii – Volcanic Island Beauty (31 min)

Trace the Hawaiian-Emperor Seamount Chain’s bend and Big Island’s volcanoes.

25: Yellowstone – Geysers and Hot Springs (32 min)

Tour the supervolcano’s geothermal wonders and future risks.

26: Kawah Ijen – World’s Most Acid Lake (32 min)

Venture into Java’s toxic crater with flaming sulfur and turquoise acid.

27: Iceland – Where Fire Meets Ice (28 min)

Walk the Mid-Atlantic Ridge amid volcanoes and glaciers.

28: The Maldives – Geologic Paradox (27 min)

Discover the tranquil coral islands atop dormant hotspot volcanoes.

29: The Dead Sea – Sinking and Salinity (31 min)

Probe the hypersaline lake at Earth’s lowest elevation.

30: Salar de Uyuni – Flattest Place on Earth (30 min)

Visit Bolivia’s lithium-rich salt flat, the planet’s largest mirror.

31: Namib/Kalahari Deserts – Sand Mountains (32 min)

Compare Africa’s Skeleton Coast and the vanishing Okavango River.

32: Siwa Oasis – Paradise amidst Desolation (29 min)

Uncover the 20-million-year-old water source in Egypt’s Sahara.

33: Auroras – Light Shows on the Edge of Space (32 min)

Decode the solar-wind-driven colors of polar skies.

34: Arizona Meteor Crater – Visitors from Outer Space (30 min)

Examine Earth’s best-preserved impact crater and its cosmic story.

35: A Montage of Geologic Mini-Wonders (31 min)

Count down 10 quirky marvels, from White Cliffs of Dover to Death Valley’s mystery.

36: Planetary Wonders – Out of This World (39 min)

Tour Venus’ lava flows, Mars’ mega-volcano, and Titan’s hydrocarbon lakes.