1 00:00:03,203 --> 00:00:05,739 Iceland... 2 00:00:05,739 --> 00:00:08,575 Built by fire... 3 00:00:08,575 --> 00:00:12,145 Sculpted by ice... 4 00:00:12,145 --> 00:00:16,383 Massive glaciers cut through mountains. 5 00:00:16,383 --> 00:00:20,387 Melting ice feeds thundering waterfalls. 6 00:00:20,387 --> 00:00:22,689 The power there is just unbelievable. 7 00:00:22,689 --> 00:00:24,324 If you touch the rocks around it, 8 00:00:24,324 --> 00:00:27,327 you can feel them trembling. 9 00:00:27,327 --> 00:00:30,731 On the world's largest volcanic island, 10 00:00:30,731 --> 00:00:35,102 a titanic battle rages between fire and ice. 11 00:00:37,504 --> 00:00:40,774 Its aftermath can be ferocious. 12 00:00:40,774 --> 00:00:41,808 They're flash floods 13 00:00:41,808 --> 00:00:43,543 and they can cause a lot of damage 14 00:00:43,543 --> 00:00:44,578 wherever they go. 15 00:00:44,578 --> 00:00:46,847 They basically ruin everything in their path. 16 00:00:46,847 --> 00:00:50,751 Vast stretches of this cold-blooded wilderness 17 00:00:50,751 --> 00:00:54,187 appear gripped by a never-ending Ice Age. 18 00:00:57,157 --> 00:01:02,663 But as the Earth warms and glaciers melt, 19 00:01:02,663 --> 00:01:05,065 what will become of Iceland? 20 00:01:05,065 --> 00:01:15,108 (♪♪♪) 21 00:01:15,108 --> 00:01:25,085 (♪♪♪) 22 00:01:25,085 --> 00:01:35,128 (♪♪♪) 23 00:01:35,128 --> 00:01:44,104 (♪♪♪) 24 00:01:49,343 --> 00:01:57,751 (♪♪♪) 25 00:01:57,751 --> 00:02:00,454 In the southeast of Iceland 26 00:02:00,454 --> 00:02:04,057 at the foot of a colossal glacier, 27 00:02:04,057 --> 00:02:07,060 an iceberg drifts serenely... 28 00:02:07,060 --> 00:02:09,129 ...on a remote glacial lake. 29 00:02:13,367 --> 00:02:16,603 It is the size of a two-story house. 30 00:02:16,603 --> 00:02:20,140 An echo from a long time ago 31 00:02:20,140 --> 00:02:23,343 when ice blanketed much of the world. 32 00:02:25,846 --> 00:02:28,348 This dreamlike lagoon, 33 00:02:28,348 --> 00:02:30,851 awash with the wreckage of ice 34 00:02:30,851 --> 00:02:34,121 that has crumbled from the glacier, 35 00:02:34,121 --> 00:02:37,090 is a sign that Iceland is changing. 36 00:02:37,090 --> 00:02:43,130 (♪♪♪) 37 00:02:43,130 --> 00:02:46,867 15 years ago, there was no lake here. 38 00:02:46,867 --> 00:02:48,568 Just a sheet of ice. 39 00:02:51,471 --> 00:02:55,142 This glacier is shrinking. 40 00:02:55,142 --> 00:02:57,511 It used to creep forward. 41 00:02:57,511 --> 00:02:59,446 No longer. 42 00:02:59,446 --> 00:03:03,617 It's losing more ice than it gains from snowfall. 43 00:03:03,617 --> 00:03:05,619 But as it recedes, 44 00:03:05,619 --> 00:03:09,222 a lagoon left in its wake is growing. 45 00:03:09,222 --> 00:03:11,191 The glacier is retreating. 46 00:03:11,191 --> 00:03:13,560 And the weight of the glacier 47 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,497 means that the ice is actually going into the ground, 48 00:03:17,497 --> 00:03:19,766 means that when the glacier retreats, 49 00:03:19,766 --> 00:03:21,701 it leaves a hole in the ground. 50 00:03:21,701 --> 00:03:23,637 But the water flowing from the glacier 51 00:03:23,637 --> 00:03:26,673 fills up the hole and creates this lagoon. 52 00:03:26,673 --> 00:03:29,776 That particular lagoon is interesting to watch 53 00:03:29,776 --> 00:03:32,446 because we can see so clearly from one year to another 54 00:03:32,446 --> 00:03:33,513 that it is getting bigger. 55 00:03:37,317 --> 00:03:39,753 It's nature being created. 56 00:03:39,753 --> 00:03:42,222 We often say that Iceland is still under construction 57 00:03:42,222 --> 00:03:43,356 and that's a good example of that. 58 00:03:46,193 --> 00:03:48,128 The lagoon is an omen 59 00:03:48,128 --> 00:03:51,698 of a greater glacial collapse to come. 60 00:03:51,698 --> 00:03:56,837 Its very existence points to a potential disaster. 61 00:03:56,837 --> 00:04:01,041 Not just for Iceland, but for our entire planet. 62 00:04:07,414 --> 00:04:11,284 (Waves crashing) 63 00:04:11,284 --> 00:04:15,455 Iceland lies in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, 64 00:04:15,455 --> 00:04:18,558 about 200 miles east of Greenland 65 00:04:18,558 --> 00:04:20,660 on the edge of the Arctic Circle. 66 00:04:20,660 --> 00:04:26,700 (♪♪♪) 67 00:04:26,700 --> 00:04:29,069 Just 300 miles wide, 68 00:04:29,069 --> 00:04:32,272 it is roughly the size of Kentucky. 69 00:04:32,272 --> 00:04:34,541 This lone and rugged island 70 00:04:34,541 --> 00:04:38,612 is a place of extreme natural beauty. 71 00:04:38,612 --> 00:04:42,816 It is also one of the most volcanic places on Earth. 72 00:04:42,816 --> 00:04:47,821 (Volcano erupting) 73 00:04:47,821 --> 00:04:50,590 Iceland's 30 active volcanoes 74 00:04:50,590 --> 00:04:54,461 generate 1/3rd of the world's land-based lava. 75 00:04:56,496 --> 00:04:59,099 It is an island on fire. 76 00:05:04,237 --> 00:05:06,773 On average, Iceland experiences 77 00:05:06,773 --> 00:05:10,443 a major volcanic eruption every 5 years. 78 00:05:13,046 --> 00:05:17,417 Lava has scraped bare great belts of the interior 79 00:05:17,417 --> 00:05:21,221 creating cruel landscapes. 80 00:05:21,221 --> 00:05:25,225 Just 1/5th of this hostile, alien land 81 00:05:25,225 --> 00:05:26,993 is inhabited by humans. 82 00:05:30,263 --> 00:05:33,633 200 earthquakes shake the island each year. 83 00:05:36,836 --> 00:05:40,674 All over Iceland, steam hisses... 84 00:05:43,076 --> 00:05:44,311 (Water erupts) 85 00:05:44,311 --> 00:05:46,012 ...water erupts... 86 00:05:49,849 --> 00:05:51,818 ...and lava spews 87 00:05:51,818 --> 00:05:55,422 from the mantle, deep beneath the Earth's crust. 88 00:05:58,692 --> 00:06:03,763 In 2010, a volcanic eruption at Eyjafjallajokull 89 00:06:03,763 --> 00:06:06,333 brought global air travel to a standstill. 90 00:06:10,503 --> 00:06:13,340 The wrath of Iceland's volcanoes 91 00:06:13,340 --> 00:06:17,410 has been felt far beyond these shores. 92 00:06:17,410 --> 00:06:20,447 But there is one force powerful enough 93 00:06:20,447 --> 00:06:23,283 to challenge Iceland's fiery heart. 94 00:06:26,620 --> 00:06:28,088 Ice. 95 00:06:29,656 --> 00:06:33,159 About 1.5 million years ago, 96 00:06:33,159 --> 00:06:37,197 a massive ice sheet descended from the north 97 00:06:37,197 --> 00:06:38,598 and smothered the island. 98 00:06:40,066 --> 00:06:41,801 Whole of Iceland was covered with ice 99 00:06:41,801 --> 00:06:44,204 and the big icecaps, Greenland and Antarctica, 100 00:06:44,204 --> 00:06:46,773 were quite a bit bigger than they are at present. 101 00:06:46,773 --> 00:06:48,675 And that means that the sea-level 102 00:06:48,675 --> 00:06:52,412 was about 100, 110 meters lower than it is now 103 00:06:52,412 --> 00:06:54,381 because all the water was stored in the ice. 104 00:06:56,549 --> 00:07:00,687 1/3rd of our planet lay trapped under a rigid blanket of ice. 105 00:07:03,223 --> 00:07:06,493 Then, about 12,000 years ago, 106 00:07:06,493 --> 00:07:11,564 the ice sheet loosened its grip and began its retreat. 107 00:07:11,564 --> 00:07:16,069 Today, 11% of Iceland remains covered by glaciers. 108 00:07:18,305 --> 00:07:21,007 Great rivers of slow-moving ice. 109 00:07:22,542 --> 00:07:26,313 Spread out, they would cloak the entire island 110 00:07:26,313 --> 00:07:28,481 in more than 100 feet of ice. 111 00:07:32,552 --> 00:07:34,354 Iceland's glaciers 112 00:07:34,354 --> 00:07:38,491 hold more than 800 cubic miles of water, 113 00:07:38,491 --> 00:07:41,428 enough to fill Michigan's Lake Huron. 114 00:07:46,266 --> 00:07:49,502 Deep within the realm of a steep mountain range 115 00:07:49,502 --> 00:07:51,304 lies a frozen giant. 116 00:07:52,839 --> 00:07:55,241 Vatnajokul, 117 00:07:55,241 --> 00:07:57,844 the largest glacier in Iceland 118 00:07:57,844 --> 00:08:01,214 and the greatest glacial mass in all of Europe. 119 00:08:03,650 --> 00:08:07,454 With a surface area of more than 3,000 square miles, 120 00:08:07,454 --> 00:08:11,324 it covers most of southern Iceland 121 00:08:11,324 --> 00:08:14,728 and would entomb the city of Tokyo in ice 122 00:08:14,728 --> 00:08:17,297 more than 1/3rd of a mile deep. 123 00:08:21,368 --> 00:08:25,305 So much water is locked inside the glacier, 124 00:08:25,305 --> 00:08:28,108 it would take Iceland's most powerful river 125 00:08:28,108 --> 00:08:31,544 more than 200 years to carry it out to sea. 126 00:08:34,414 --> 00:08:38,451 The glacier is so immense, it generates its own weather. 127 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:45,125 Cold winds blow off the ice-cap, chilling the valleys below. 128 00:08:49,829 --> 00:08:52,465 Vatnajokul is constantly transforming. 129 00:08:55,101 --> 00:08:57,103 As it pushes through the valley, 130 00:08:57,103 --> 00:08:59,672 it melts in the bright daylight. 131 00:08:59,672 --> 00:09:02,709 Then freezes, during frigid Arctic nights. 132 00:09:09,082 --> 00:09:12,218 Crevasses, cut open by friction 133 00:09:12,218 --> 00:09:15,488 as the ice slumps down the mountain, 134 00:09:15,488 --> 00:09:18,091 can plunge more than 100 feet 135 00:09:18,091 --> 00:09:21,294 deep into the glacier's icy heart. 136 00:09:23,396 --> 00:09:25,131 For adventure-seekers, 137 00:09:25,131 --> 00:09:29,436 the ice can be thrilling but treacherous. 138 00:09:29,436 --> 00:09:31,037 When you hike on the glaciers, 139 00:09:31,037 --> 00:09:32,439 you have to know what you're doing. 140 00:09:32,439 --> 00:09:34,107 If you don't know what you're doing, 141 00:09:34,107 --> 00:09:36,209 sometimes these crevasses can be very dangerous. 142 00:09:36,209 --> 00:09:37,410 Sometimes they're snow-covered 143 00:09:37,410 --> 00:09:39,412 and you can't even see where they are. 144 00:09:39,412 --> 00:09:42,182 So by all means, people should always 145 00:09:42,182 --> 00:09:44,417 either have the experience or have a guide with them 146 00:09:44,417 --> 00:09:46,186 when they do something like that. 147 00:09:50,089 --> 00:09:54,694 Farther up the glacier, crevasses are larger 148 00:09:54,694 --> 00:09:58,131 making higher reaches impassable 149 00:09:58,131 --> 00:10:01,000 and hiking even more harrowing. 150 00:10:02,435 --> 00:10:06,539 In 1953, two British science students 151 00:10:06,539 --> 00:10:10,410 set out on a research expedition on Vatnajokul. 152 00:10:11,711 --> 00:10:14,581 They were never seen again. 153 00:10:14,581 --> 00:10:19,586 It's believed the two fell into a deep and hidden crevasse. 154 00:10:19,586 --> 00:10:21,454 In 2006, 155 00:10:21,454 --> 00:10:25,124 mountaineering equipment belonging to the two students 156 00:10:25,124 --> 00:10:27,293 was discovered on the ice. 157 00:10:30,129 --> 00:10:31,865 At its thickest point, 158 00:10:31,865 --> 00:10:35,535 the ice is more than 2/3rds of a mile deep. 159 00:10:35,535 --> 00:10:38,671 Entombed under these icy folds 160 00:10:38,671 --> 00:10:41,274 are mountains, valleys and plateaus. 161 00:10:43,877 --> 00:10:46,746 The glacier also conceals volcanoes. 162 00:10:49,215 --> 00:10:52,886 60% of Iceland's active volcano systems 163 00:10:52,886 --> 00:10:54,621 lie under its glaciers. 164 00:10:57,123 --> 00:10:59,993 And that can produce some dramatic results. 165 00:11:01,661 --> 00:11:04,063 (Volcano erupting) 166 00:11:04,063 --> 00:11:05,231 Grímsvotn... 167 00:11:07,567 --> 00:11:11,738 It has the highest eruption rate of any volcano in Iceland. 168 00:11:13,339 --> 00:11:15,375 In 2011, 169 00:11:15,375 --> 00:11:19,212 it unleashed its fury for the fourth time in 14 years. 170 00:11:21,114 --> 00:11:22,815 Torrents of molten rock 171 00:11:22,815 --> 00:11:26,119 surged through shattered ice sheets, 172 00:11:26,119 --> 00:11:29,589 hurling a billowing cloud of steam and ash 173 00:11:29,589 --> 00:11:32,559 12 miles into the sky, 174 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:36,329 and plunging parts of the island into near darkness. 175 00:11:39,098 --> 00:11:42,368 It is believed to be the most violent eruption in Iceland 176 00:11:42,368 --> 00:11:44,270 since the 1960s. 177 00:11:45,605 --> 00:11:47,140 Far more powerful 178 00:11:47,140 --> 00:11:50,777 than the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokull 179 00:11:50,777 --> 00:11:54,747 that brought global air travel to its knees. 180 00:11:54,747 --> 00:11:58,585 The two forces at play, fire and ice, 181 00:11:58,585 --> 00:12:02,388 when mixed, are a power to be reckoned with. 182 00:12:02,388 --> 00:12:03,389 You have these, 183 00:12:03,389 --> 00:12:06,526 the super-cold glacier and the super-warm lava, 184 00:12:06,526 --> 00:12:11,297 and when the eruptions take place under the glaciers, 185 00:12:11,297 --> 00:12:13,299 first of all, the heat from the eruption 186 00:12:13,299 --> 00:12:16,069 starts melting the glacier from underneath. 187 00:12:16,069 --> 00:12:18,338 And in some cases, 188 00:12:18,338 --> 00:12:21,174 the eruptions are big enough and last for long enough 189 00:12:21,174 --> 00:12:23,810 to melt their way all the way through the ice. 190 00:12:23,810 --> 00:12:26,412 And then we have this magnificent display of fire 191 00:12:26,412 --> 00:12:28,348 just coming out of the ice. 192 00:12:28,348 --> 00:12:29,649 They're kind of battling each other. 193 00:12:32,218 --> 00:12:36,222 In the explosive showdown between lava and ice, 194 00:12:36,222 --> 00:12:39,626 ice is a forbidding force. 195 00:12:39,626 --> 00:12:44,230 But it is no match for Iceland's fiery volcanoes 196 00:12:44,230 --> 00:12:47,400 which can wreak havoc in other, unexpected, ways. 197 00:12:49,836 --> 00:12:51,270 Flooding, 198 00:12:51,270 --> 00:12:53,539 triggered by the eruption of a volcano 199 00:12:53,539 --> 00:12:55,842 beneath a glacier. 200 00:12:55,842 --> 00:13:00,113 The 2010 eruption at Eyjafjallajokull 201 00:13:00,113 --> 00:13:03,082 melted the glacier 202 00:13:03,082 --> 00:13:06,386 and sent 2 billion cubic feet of water 203 00:13:06,386 --> 00:13:09,555 flooding down the mountain, 204 00:13:09,555 --> 00:13:13,393 nearly the volume of water that goes over Niagara Falls 205 00:13:13,393 --> 00:13:16,529 in 6 hours. 206 00:13:16,529 --> 00:13:17,463 The flash floods, 207 00:13:17,463 --> 00:13:19,766 which are known in Iceland as "jokulhlaup" 208 00:13:19,766 --> 00:13:22,301 or the "glacial floods". 209 00:13:22,301 --> 00:13:24,804 And they will go down and onto the lowlands 210 00:13:24,804 --> 00:13:27,607 and can cause a lot of damage wherever they go. 211 00:13:27,607 --> 00:13:29,242 They basically ruin everything in their path. 212 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:36,249 Iceland's glacial floods are enormously destructive. 213 00:13:40,319 --> 00:13:43,356 Raging torrents of water wash away roads. 214 00:13:47,427 --> 00:13:50,329 At the foot of Vatnajokul glacier, 215 00:13:50,329 --> 00:13:54,367 lies the twisted wreckage of a steel bridge 216 00:13:54,367 --> 00:13:57,236 wiped out by glacial flooding. 217 00:13:57,236 --> 00:14:06,145 (♪♪♪) 218 00:14:06,145 --> 00:14:07,513 Glacial floods carry 219 00:14:07,513 --> 00:14:11,484 millions of tons of volcanic rock and ash 220 00:14:11,484 --> 00:14:14,454 to Iceland's south shore, 221 00:14:14,454 --> 00:14:16,789 reshaping the coastline 222 00:14:16,789 --> 00:14:20,059 and creating stretches of basalt beach 223 00:14:20,059 --> 00:14:23,730 as black as gunmetal. 224 00:14:23,730 --> 00:14:28,201 It's because it's all produced by breaking down basalt 225 00:14:28,201 --> 00:14:30,069 which is a black rock. 226 00:14:30,069 --> 00:14:31,404 And most of the rock, 227 00:14:31,404 --> 00:14:33,606 the majority of rocks in Iceland, 228 00:14:33,606 --> 00:14:38,377 are black in color because most of it is basalt. 229 00:14:38,377 --> 00:14:40,279 So we have this dark color. 230 00:14:40,279 --> 00:14:42,615 So it-- I remember one time going to Hawaii 231 00:14:42,615 --> 00:14:44,317 and everyone talked about the black sand beach. 232 00:14:44,317 --> 00:14:45,585 "You need to go and see the black sand beach." 233 00:14:45,585 --> 00:14:47,120 And I said, "Why? 234 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:48,154 I've seen nothing but black sand beaches 235 00:14:48,154 --> 00:14:49,655 in my life. 236 00:14:49,655 --> 00:14:51,657 I'm from a place where all the rocks are dark." 237 00:14:58,164 --> 00:15:00,266 At Sandvik Beach, 238 00:15:00,266 --> 00:15:05,037 towering cliffs are home to thousands of sea birds, 239 00:15:05,037 --> 00:15:07,306 including the puffin. 240 00:15:07,306 --> 00:15:09,275 (Birds squawking) 241 00:15:09,275 --> 00:15:12,245 More than half the world's Atlantic puffins 242 00:15:12,245 --> 00:15:16,182 breed on Iceland's rocky cliff tops. 243 00:15:16,182 --> 00:15:19,051 (Birds squawking in distance) 244 00:15:22,221 --> 00:15:24,390 Although the north coast of the island 245 00:15:24,390 --> 00:15:27,093 touches the Arctic Circle, 246 00:15:27,093 --> 00:15:30,163 its coastal waters remain free of sea ice. 247 00:15:32,198 --> 00:15:36,702 The Atlantic Gulf Stream, a system of thermal currents 248 00:15:36,702 --> 00:15:39,739 warms this passage of the North Atlantic. 249 00:15:39,739 --> 00:15:46,078 (♪♪♪) 250 00:15:46,078 --> 00:15:49,749 But with warmer water comes rain. 251 00:15:49,749 --> 00:15:51,851 This stretch of coastline 252 00:15:51,851 --> 00:15:55,087 is one of the wettest in Iceland, 253 00:15:55,087 --> 00:15:58,591 with average annual rainfall of more than 90 inches. 254 00:16:01,594 --> 00:16:04,764 Isolated near the top of the world, 255 00:16:04,764 --> 00:16:08,467 Iceland is ravaged by storms in every direction. 256 00:16:10,369 --> 00:16:13,339 Fierce winds and rolling Atlantic waves 257 00:16:13,339 --> 00:16:14,674 batter its shores. 258 00:16:17,243 --> 00:16:21,214 Through the centuries, scores of Icelandic mariners 259 00:16:21,214 --> 00:16:24,283 have drowned in its wild, stormy waters. 260 00:16:27,286 --> 00:16:30,756 Even today, there is real danger for the Icelanders 261 00:16:30,756 --> 00:16:33,993 who harvest these cold, dark seas. 262 00:16:36,062 --> 00:16:37,129 The connection between 263 00:16:37,129 --> 00:16:39,432 the people living in these villages and the ocean 264 00:16:39,432 --> 00:16:41,367 is very, very strong. 265 00:16:41,367 --> 00:16:43,769 It is their livelihood. 266 00:16:43,769 --> 00:16:46,239 And sometimes in some areas, 267 00:16:46,239 --> 00:16:48,641 especially close to the south coast, 268 00:16:48,641 --> 00:16:51,377 where we have the rough surf of the Atlantic 269 00:16:51,377 --> 00:16:53,579 hammering the coast, 270 00:16:53,579 --> 00:16:58,084 going out in the boats to catch the fish 271 00:16:58,084 --> 00:17:00,553 has always been a big challenge. 272 00:17:00,553 --> 00:17:02,488 They have to go through the surf sometimes. 273 00:17:02,488 --> 00:17:05,191 And even today in the fish-- big fishing boats 274 00:17:05,191 --> 00:17:07,059 and with all the technology, 275 00:17:07,059 --> 00:17:10,329 this is often a very dangerous and difficult thing to do. 276 00:17:10,329 --> 00:17:11,530 So these are tough people 277 00:17:11,530 --> 00:17:14,200 and they have learned to survive 278 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:16,702 with this giant, the Atlantic Ocean. 279 00:17:23,542 --> 00:17:26,545 At the end of the black sand beach, 280 00:17:26,545 --> 00:17:28,814 jagged blades of basalt 281 00:17:28,814 --> 00:17:31,684 rise more than 200 feet into the air. 282 00:17:33,552 --> 00:17:37,490 Once part of a greater volcanic cliff line, 283 00:17:37,490 --> 00:17:39,825 these ancient sea stacks 284 00:17:39,825 --> 00:17:43,696 have been ground down over time by wind 285 00:17:43,696 --> 00:17:45,531 and the rages of the sea. 286 00:17:49,535 --> 00:17:51,203 Farther inland, 287 00:17:51,203 --> 00:17:54,774 Iceland's mighty ice fields are also shrinking. 288 00:18:00,479 --> 00:18:02,548 Although the majority of its glaciers 289 00:18:02,548 --> 00:18:06,152 lie atop active volcano systems, 290 00:18:06,152 --> 00:18:09,722 less than 5% of the melting of its ice caps 291 00:18:09,722 --> 00:18:12,458 is attributed to volcanic heat. 292 00:18:14,026 --> 00:18:17,697 A far more destructive force threatens Iceland's glaciers. 293 00:18:19,432 --> 00:18:21,434 Rising global temperatures. 294 00:18:25,604 --> 00:18:29,675 Over the last 100 years, the planet has warmed. 295 00:18:32,611 --> 00:18:35,314 The upper reaches of the northern hemisphere 296 00:18:35,314 --> 00:18:39,385 are warming twice as fast as regions farther south. 297 00:18:39,385 --> 00:18:43,622 (♪♪♪) 298 00:18:43,622 --> 00:18:46,525 In a land of ice and snow, 299 00:18:46,525 --> 00:18:49,762 the effects of climate change are unmistakable. 300 00:18:52,431 --> 00:18:54,567 The glaciers are melting. 301 00:18:56,802 --> 00:18:59,805 Of course, the glaciers are disappearing right now. 302 00:18:59,805 --> 00:19:04,643 I've been monitoring glaciers for 30 years 303 00:19:04,643 --> 00:19:08,614 and it's the temperature, mean temperature, 304 00:19:08,614 --> 00:19:10,583 particularly, the summer temperature, 305 00:19:10,583 --> 00:19:12,451 which is causing the changes. 306 00:19:12,451 --> 00:19:16,088 And the summer temperature, and temperature in general, 307 00:19:16,088 --> 00:19:19,225 has been rising during this last century 308 00:19:19,225 --> 00:19:21,994 very consistently. 309 00:19:24,764 --> 00:19:28,734 In Iceland, glacial melt is nothing new. 310 00:19:28,734 --> 00:19:32,104 Each winter, snow falls on the glacier 311 00:19:32,104 --> 00:19:35,408 and gradually compresses into ice. 312 00:19:35,408 --> 00:19:36,575 Each summer, 313 00:19:36,575 --> 00:19:39,512 melt water pours from the icecaps, 314 00:19:39,512 --> 00:19:42,148 gathers in streams and rivers, 315 00:19:42,148 --> 00:19:44,984 and cascades into valleys below. 316 00:19:53,125 --> 00:19:55,694 This cycle of freeze and thaw 317 00:19:55,694 --> 00:19:58,297 has endured for thousands of years. 318 00:20:00,199 --> 00:20:02,401 But in the last century, 319 00:20:02,401 --> 00:20:05,704 glacial melt has far exceeded snowfall. 320 00:20:07,073 --> 00:20:09,475 The glaciers are vanishing... 321 00:20:09,475 --> 00:20:11,210 ...at an alarming rate. 322 00:20:20,086 --> 00:20:23,122 5% of Iceland's ice caps 323 00:20:23,122 --> 00:20:25,324 have melted in the last 40 years. 324 00:20:27,093 --> 00:20:31,263 Each year, 11 billion tons of ice 325 00:20:31,263 --> 00:20:32,765 vanish from the island. 326 00:20:36,836 --> 00:20:39,205 The last time Iceland experienced 327 00:20:39,205 --> 00:20:42,608 an accelerated melt on this scale 328 00:20:42,608 --> 00:20:45,678 is when it emerged from the last Ice Age 329 00:20:45,678 --> 00:20:48,514 more than 12,000 years ago. 330 00:20:48,514 --> 00:20:54,620 (♪♪♪) 331 00:20:54,620 --> 00:21:00,292 Iceland's largest icecap feeds dozens of outlet glaciers, 332 00:21:00,292 --> 00:21:02,394 essentially tongues 333 00:21:02,394 --> 00:21:05,731 that slide away from the larger mass of ice 334 00:21:05,731 --> 00:21:07,333 and into deep valleys. 335 00:21:10,169 --> 00:21:12,471 The glaciers are estimated to be melting 336 00:21:12,471 --> 00:21:15,074 at a rate of 3 feet per year. 337 00:21:16,809 --> 00:21:19,111 Many of its outlet glaciers 338 00:21:19,111 --> 00:21:22,548 are melting at an even faster pace. 339 00:21:22,548 --> 00:21:25,518 So this glacier is actually moving quite fast. 340 00:21:25,518 --> 00:21:27,253 During the last 100 years, 341 00:21:27,253 --> 00:21:29,088 it's been retreating very rapidly. 342 00:21:29,088 --> 00:21:31,290 So now it's further back than it has ever been 343 00:21:31,290 --> 00:21:34,226 in the last 120 years or so. 344 00:21:34,226 --> 00:21:35,327 Since the early '90s, 345 00:21:35,327 --> 00:21:36,529 all the glaciers have been retreating 346 00:21:36,529 --> 00:21:38,164 and losing mass quite rapidly. 347 00:21:45,638 --> 00:21:47,606 Svinafellsjokull, 348 00:21:47,606 --> 00:21:51,343 one of the largest outlet glaciers at Vatnajokull, 349 00:21:51,343 --> 00:21:53,512 advances down the mountain 350 00:21:53,512 --> 00:21:56,515 between 80 to 100 feet each year. 351 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:04,823 But despite this immense forward push of ice, 352 00:22:04,823 --> 00:22:07,393 summer melting causes its leading edge 353 00:22:07,393 --> 00:22:10,296 to recede more than 130 feet. 354 00:22:13,832 --> 00:22:16,335 Great swaths of the valley, 355 00:22:16,335 --> 00:22:18,771 once enveloped by the glacier, 356 00:22:18,771 --> 00:22:21,173 now lie exposed 357 00:22:21,173 --> 00:22:24,109 as Vatnajokull retreats up the mountain. 358 00:22:26,445 --> 00:22:30,249 It is a grim reminder that the glacier is dying. 359 00:22:34,253 --> 00:22:36,488 At this glacial lagoon, 360 00:22:36,488 --> 00:22:39,592 huge chunks of ice have broken off 361 00:22:39,592 --> 00:22:42,027 or calved from the glacier. 362 00:22:46,665 --> 00:22:50,636 Calving begins with a fracture in the edge of the glacier 363 00:22:50,636 --> 00:22:56,175 caused by the erosion from wind, water or melting ice. 364 00:22:56,175 --> 00:23:00,079 When the crack penetrates the full depth of the glacier, 365 00:23:00,079 --> 00:23:03,782 the sheer weight of the ice takes its toll 366 00:23:03,782 --> 00:23:08,320 and huge blocks break away creating icebergs. 367 00:23:10,322 --> 00:23:12,825 Some are darkly striped, 368 00:23:12,825 --> 00:23:15,728 blackened by debris from the valley floor. 369 00:23:15,728 --> 00:23:23,302 (♪♪♪) 370 00:23:23,302 --> 00:23:26,772 Calving is a natural process in the life of a glacier. 371 00:23:28,340 --> 00:23:30,276 But across the Arctic, 372 00:23:30,276 --> 00:23:33,245 glaciers are calving at an alarming rate. 373 00:23:35,581 --> 00:23:37,583 As temperatures rise 374 00:23:37,583 --> 00:23:40,519 and polar ice weakens and melts, 375 00:23:40,519 --> 00:23:43,355 more and more ice cleaves from the glacier. 376 00:23:46,292 --> 00:23:48,827 As the ice sheet breaks apart, 377 00:23:48,827 --> 00:23:52,298 lagoons swell and flood the lowlands. 378 00:23:57,169 --> 00:23:59,772 The icebergs in the lagoon, 379 00:23:59,772 --> 00:24:02,675 ruins from a dwindling ice cap, 380 00:24:02,675 --> 00:24:05,477 provide a glimpse into the future 381 00:24:05,477 --> 00:24:08,247 of all of Iceland's glaciers. 382 00:24:11,250 --> 00:24:14,086 We have done some modeling for the Icelandic glaciers 383 00:24:14,086 --> 00:24:17,189 and taking some assumptions 384 00:24:17,189 --> 00:24:20,092 about how the temperature is gonna increase in the future, 385 00:24:20,092 --> 00:24:22,528 we see actually quite a bleak future for the glaciers. 386 00:24:22,528 --> 00:24:26,465 So most of them will probably be gone 387 00:24:26,465 --> 00:24:28,701 in about 200, 250 years. 388 00:24:32,371 --> 00:24:35,074 The prospect of a glacial collapse 389 00:24:35,074 --> 00:24:39,111 is a disturbing one for the people of Iceland. 390 00:24:39,111 --> 00:24:42,214 Locked inside the ice caps 391 00:24:42,214 --> 00:24:45,250 is their largest reservoir of fresh water. 392 00:24:48,721 --> 00:24:51,824 If all the glaciers would disappear entirely, 393 00:24:51,824 --> 00:24:53,492 it would have very negative effect 394 00:24:53,492 --> 00:24:56,095 on our water supply. 395 00:24:56,095 --> 00:25:00,466 And not only in form of the drinking water that we need, 396 00:25:00,466 --> 00:25:02,368 both hot and cold water, 397 00:25:02,368 --> 00:25:03,369 but also the fact 398 00:25:03,369 --> 00:25:06,405 that 70% of the energy that we have in Iceland 399 00:25:06,405 --> 00:25:08,707 is produced in hydraulic power plants 400 00:25:08,707 --> 00:25:11,210 by damming the rivers. 401 00:25:11,210 --> 00:25:13,479 So they are a very, very big part of-- 402 00:25:13,479 --> 00:25:15,547 important part of our lives. 403 00:25:15,547 --> 00:25:25,524 (♪♪♪) 404 00:25:25,524 --> 00:25:28,227 The deterioration of the ice sheets 405 00:25:28,227 --> 00:25:31,130 could have devastating consequences, 406 00:25:31,130 --> 00:25:35,334 not just for Iceland, but for the world beyond. 407 00:25:35,334 --> 00:25:41,473 (♪♪♪) 408 00:25:41,473 --> 00:25:42,841 In the global context, 409 00:25:42,841 --> 00:25:46,345 we can say that when the glaciers melt, 410 00:25:46,345 --> 00:25:48,313 sea level is gonna rise. 411 00:25:48,313 --> 00:25:50,382 The glaciers in Iceland 412 00:25:50,382 --> 00:25:52,551 are not that big in a global context. 413 00:25:52,551 --> 00:25:54,787 so if we take all the glaciers in Iceland, 414 00:25:54,787 --> 00:25:56,755 melt them and put it into the ocean, 415 00:25:56,755 --> 00:25:59,625 the sea level will rise about 1 centimeter. 416 00:25:59,625 --> 00:26:01,493 So that's not a big influence. 417 00:26:01,493 --> 00:26:04,763 But we have greater neighbor, Greenland ice sheet. 418 00:26:04,763 --> 00:26:08,267 And if we mentally take that whole ice, 419 00:26:08,267 --> 00:26:10,702 and melt it and put it into the ocean, 420 00:26:10,702 --> 00:26:13,138 the sea level would rise 7 meters. 421 00:26:16,775 --> 00:26:19,511 A sea-level-rise of 20 feet 422 00:26:19,511 --> 00:26:24,783 would drown more than 400,000 square miles of land, 423 00:26:24,783 --> 00:26:29,121 threaten the planet's coastal nations and cities 424 00:26:29,121 --> 00:26:33,058 and put more than 100 million people at risk. 425 00:26:33,058 --> 00:26:39,331 (♪♪♪) 426 00:26:39,331 --> 00:26:42,334 But it's not just sea levels that are climbing 427 00:26:42,334 --> 00:26:45,204 as a result of climate change. 428 00:26:45,204 --> 00:26:47,639 Iceland too is rising. 429 00:26:49,541 --> 00:26:52,744 As ice melts, its load becomes lighter 430 00:26:52,744 --> 00:26:55,848 reducing pressure on the land below 431 00:26:55,848 --> 00:26:58,517 and the ground rebounds. 432 00:26:58,517 --> 00:27:01,153 It's known as "isostatic lift". 433 00:27:03,155 --> 00:27:04,490 In some areas, 434 00:27:04,490 --> 00:27:08,393 the island is rising more than 1 inch per year. 435 00:27:08,393 --> 00:27:10,362 The speed of this rise 436 00:27:10,362 --> 00:27:12,698 is among the fastest on the planet. 437 00:27:14,533 --> 00:27:18,370 And as the land rebounds, volcanoes stir. 438 00:27:21,540 --> 00:27:24,710 Heavy weight on top of a volcano, 439 00:27:24,710 --> 00:27:30,582 such as a massive sheet of ice will suppress volcanic activity. 440 00:27:30,582 --> 00:27:34,253 As ice melts, downward pressure is released 441 00:27:34,253 --> 00:27:37,756 allowing magma to rise to the surface 442 00:27:37,756 --> 00:27:40,425 where it can trigger volcanic eruptions. 443 00:27:45,264 --> 00:27:48,367 Geological evidence from the last Ice Age 444 00:27:48,367 --> 00:27:51,470 suggests that volcanic eruptions in Iceland 445 00:27:51,470 --> 00:27:55,374 increased 30-fold after the glaciers retreated. 446 00:28:00,045 --> 00:28:03,048 Scientists estimate a glacial collapse 447 00:28:03,048 --> 00:28:05,150 could lead to a major eruption 448 00:28:05,150 --> 00:28:06,585 every 7 years. 449 00:28:08,020 --> 00:28:09,788 Eruptions on this scale 450 00:28:09,788 --> 00:28:12,324 can lead to something even worse. 451 00:28:16,328 --> 00:28:18,630 In 1783, 452 00:28:18,630 --> 00:28:22,401 an eruption at Laki in south-central Iceland 453 00:28:22,401 --> 00:28:25,437 sent a poisonous cloud of sulfur dioxide 454 00:28:25,437 --> 00:28:26,705 into the atmosphere. 455 00:28:26,705 --> 00:28:35,447 (♪♪♪) 456 00:28:35,447 --> 00:28:39,484 The thick fog of fumes plunged Iceland into famine, 457 00:28:39,484 --> 00:28:41,486 spread over Europe 458 00:28:41,486 --> 00:28:47,292 and possibly killed an estimated two million people worldwide. 459 00:28:47,292 --> 00:28:50,629 It was one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions 460 00:28:50,629 --> 00:28:52,564 in human history. 461 00:28:52,564 --> 00:28:58,637 (♪♪♪) 462 00:28:58,637 --> 00:29:01,540 As Iceland's glaciers continue to melt 463 00:29:01,540 --> 00:29:05,510 atop some of the world's deadliest volcanoes, 464 00:29:05,510 --> 00:29:08,180 the threat of eruptions increases. 465 00:29:09,314 --> 00:29:11,583 Some geologists believe 466 00:29:11,583 --> 00:29:15,520 a massive natural disaster similar to Laki 467 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:17,322 could happen again. 468 00:29:18,657 --> 00:29:21,560 There will be another one like that in the future, yes. 469 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:24,029 Every now and then, about 1,000 years apart, 470 00:29:24,029 --> 00:29:26,365 we get huge eruptions, 471 00:29:26,365 --> 00:29:30,669 which will even affect greatly the modern society. 472 00:29:30,669 --> 00:29:33,438 We'll, probably, have a much better way 473 00:29:33,438 --> 00:29:37,142 of defending ourselves than people had then, 474 00:29:37,142 --> 00:29:40,479 when 10% of the people died from the famine 475 00:29:40,479 --> 00:29:44,816 and the results of the haze. 476 00:29:44,816 --> 00:29:50,722 But there may very well be volcanic eruptions 477 00:29:50,722 --> 00:29:55,160 that will affect the whole society of Iceland 478 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:58,563 in such a way that it will hardly be habitable. 479 00:30:02,601 --> 00:30:04,703 The Laki lava field, 480 00:30:04,703 --> 00:30:08,707 which laid waste to more than 200 square miles, 481 00:30:08,707 --> 00:30:12,210 is a reminder of the horror that befell Iceland. 482 00:30:14,112 --> 00:30:16,348 But where nature can destroy, 483 00:30:16,348 --> 00:30:18,650 it can also create beauty. 484 00:30:20,752 --> 00:30:22,254 On this night, 485 00:30:22,254 --> 00:30:25,123 the sky above the field begins to bruise. 486 00:30:26,591 --> 00:30:31,430 And in the upper atmosphere, a cosmic spectacle unfolds. 487 00:30:31,430 --> 00:30:33,498 Aurora Borealis. 488 00:30:33,498 --> 00:30:35,100 The Northern Lights. 489 00:30:37,669 --> 00:30:41,306 Electrically charged particles of solar wind 490 00:30:41,306 --> 00:30:44,543 collide with the Earth's magnetic field, 491 00:30:44,543 --> 00:30:46,211 creating one of nature's 492 00:30:46,211 --> 00:30:48,780 most elusive and spectacular sights. 493 00:30:56,755 --> 00:31:00,759 Iceland may be built from fire and volcanic rock 494 00:31:00,759 --> 00:31:03,261 but it takes its shape from ice. 495 00:31:05,397 --> 00:31:07,566 As glaciers advanced and retreated 496 00:31:07,566 --> 00:31:09,835 over thousands of years, 497 00:31:09,835 --> 00:31:12,838 they carved out deep fjords 498 00:31:12,838 --> 00:31:15,707 and sculpted Iceland's furrowed coastline. 499 00:31:18,276 --> 00:31:20,712 Some glaciers are long gone. 500 00:31:25,751 --> 00:31:28,553 Others are still at work today 501 00:31:28,553 --> 00:31:30,789 dramatically transforming the landscape. 502 00:31:34,259 --> 00:31:39,498 Vatnajokul bears down on the valleys like a bulldozer. 503 00:31:39,498 --> 00:31:42,567 At the rate of 2 feet per day, 504 00:31:42,567 --> 00:31:45,370 it crushes the land beneath it, 505 00:31:45,370 --> 00:31:50,208 eroding solid rock like sandpaper over wood. 506 00:31:51,576 --> 00:31:54,279 Around Vatnajokul you have these runoff glaciers 507 00:31:54,279 --> 00:31:56,248 that come flowing down from the big ice sheet, 508 00:31:56,248 --> 00:31:57,649 carving the valleys, 509 00:31:57,649 --> 00:32:01,086 making the valleys deeper and wider as they do that. 510 00:32:01,086 --> 00:32:04,055 So one of the things that you can clearly see 511 00:32:04,055 --> 00:32:06,591 when you look at the glaciers are the glacier moraines 512 00:32:06,591 --> 00:32:09,060 that are often in front of them, 513 00:32:09,060 --> 00:32:11,229 which are the result of the fact 514 00:32:11,229 --> 00:32:13,732 that the glacier pushes forward, 515 00:32:13,732 --> 00:32:17,469 and it pushes gravel and dirt in front of it, 516 00:32:17,469 --> 00:32:19,271 creating these mounds. 517 00:32:19,271 --> 00:32:20,839 And then as the glacier retreats, 518 00:32:20,839 --> 00:32:23,642 it leaves these mounds just sitting there 519 00:32:23,642 --> 00:32:27,579 like small hills-- sometimes very big hills. 520 00:32:27,579 --> 00:32:31,316 Piles of moraines litter the landscape, 521 00:32:31,316 --> 00:32:35,320 evidence that the glaciers are disappearing. 522 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:38,790 Inside these rocky ridges are clues 523 00:32:38,790 --> 00:32:40,792 to where the glaciers have been. 524 00:32:42,194 --> 00:32:44,162 Rocks and minerals 525 00:32:44,162 --> 00:32:48,466 unique to a particular landscape hundreds of miles away 526 00:32:48,466 --> 00:32:51,203 can be found in the moraine, 527 00:32:51,203 --> 00:32:54,639 proof that a glacier flowed through that region. 528 00:32:58,543 --> 00:33:01,179 As the glaciers power forward, 529 00:33:01,179 --> 00:33:03,682 they scour and gouge the bedrock 530 00:33:03,682 --> 00:33:07,686 with boulders carried in their bellies, 531 00:33:07,686 --> 00:33:11,156 leaving scars in their wake 532 00:33:11,156 --> 00:33:15,260 only to be revealed when the glaciers recede. 533 00:33:15,260 --> 00:33:18,496 These juggernauts of ice are so powerful, 534 00:33:18,496 --> 00:33:20,565 they can destroy mountains. 535 00:33:24,202 --> 00:33:28,206 On the Snafellsnes Peninsula in western Iceland, 536 00:33:28,206 --> 00:33:30,442 a free-standing mountain 537 00:33:30,442 --> 00:33:34,846 bears the scars of the glacier that covered it, 538 00:33:34,846 --> 00:33:36,248 Kirkjufell. 539 00:33:38,850 --> 00:33:40,819 It is one of the most distinct models 540 00:33:40,819 --> 00:33:43,188 of glacial erosion in Iceland. 541 00:33:46,091 --> 00:33:48,860 Kirkjufell's unusual pyramid shape 542 00:33:48,860 --> 00:33:51,363 can be traced to the last Ice Age. 543 00:33:53,565 --> 00:33:56,301 Glaciers on either side of its peak, 544 00:33:56,301 --> 00:33:59,170 scraped slowly down the mountain 545 00:33:59,170 --> 00:34:03,074 scooping out rock and carrying it down its slopes. 546 00:34:07,312 --> 00:34:09,514 As the glacier flowed, 547 00:34:09,514 --> 00:34:12,484 shattered rocks, caught underneath the ice, 548 00:34:12,484 --> 00:34:14,586 ground the mountainsides, 549 00:34:14,586 --> 00:34:16,721 carving out more rock. 550 00:34:19,157 --> 00:34:22,127 When the glaciers melted and retreated, 551 00:34:22,127 --> 00:34:24,763 Kirkjufell was left completely severed 552 00:34:24,763 --> 00:34:28,099 from the rest of the mountain chain. 553 00:34:28,099 --> 00:34:30,735 Today, it stands alone. 554 00:34:30,735 --> 00:34:33,104 A mighty mountain, 555 00:34:33,104 --> 00:34:35,674 but no match for the power of ice. 556 00:34:45,116 --> 00:34:49,287 Nowhere is the crushing strength of ice more extensive 557 00:34:49,287 --> 00:34:52,490 than in Iceland's magnificent glacial valleys. 558 00:34:52,490 --> 00:35:00,465 (♪♪♪) 559 00:35:00,465 --> 00:35:04,636 These canyons form when glaciers push slowly 560 00:35:04,636 --> 00:35:08,373 through channels already cut by flowing streams. 561 00:35:08,373 --> 00:35:14,713 (♪♪♪) 562 00:35:14,713 --> 00:35:16,548 Year after year, 563 00:35:16,548 --> 00:35:18,683 decade after decade, 564 00:35:18,683 --> 00:35:21,586 century after century, 565 00:35:21,586 --> 00:35:23,588 the glacier eats away 566 00:35:23,588 --> 00:35:27,058 at the sides of the original valley 567 00:35:27,058 --> 00:35:29,461 transforming a narrow gully 568 00:35:29,461 --> 00:35:32,197 into a wide and mighty canyon. 569 00:35:34,632 --> 00:35:38,436 Entire mountainsides are sheared away 570 00:35:38,436 --> 00:35:41,306 leaving behind steep vertical cliffs. 571 00:35:46,077 --> 00:35:50,148 Melt-water from the glacier now feeds the stream 572 00:35:50,148 --> 00:35:52,517 that flows through this mighty valley. 573 00:35:57,155 --> 00:35:58,690 Clearly too small 574 00:35:58,690 --> 00:36:01,726 to have created this majestic canyon, 575 00:36:01,726 --> 00:36:04,195 it's known as a misfit stream. 576 00:36:06,231 --> 00:36:10,135 It can take decades, sometimes centuries, 577 00:36:10,135 --> 00:36:12,704 for Iceland's water to complete its cycle 578 00:36:12,704 --> 00:36:14,506 and return to the sea. 579 00:36:15,807 --> 00:36:19,444 Rivers and streams flow with meltwater from snow 580 00:36:19,444 --> 00:36:21,713 that fell hundreds of years ago. 581 00:36:23,181 --> 00:36:25,250 Meltwater from glaciers 582 00:36:25,250 --> 00:36:30,221 seeps into the ground and through porous lava rock. 583 00:36:30,221 --> 00:36:33,191 You could almost say that the lava is like a sponge. 584 00:36:33,191 --> 00:36:34,592 It takes in a lot of water 585 00:36:34,592 --> 00:36:38,463 and then it slowly lets it go 586 00:36:38,463 --> 00:36:40,331 as the sponge fills up. 587 00:36:40,331 --> 00:36:43,735 It takes maybe 30 years for a drop of water 588 00:36:43,735 --> 00:36:47,238 to go from the point it melts, seeps into the ground, 589 00:36:47,238 --> 00:36:49,374 until it flows out somewhere else. 590 00:36:49,374 --> 00:36:51,042 So it's a very slow process. 591 00:36:55,113 --> 00:36:57,782 These humble streams merge together 592 00:36:57,782 --> 00:37:00,251 to form powerful rivers, 593 00:37:00,251 --> 00:37:03,421 which in turn form another erosive force 594 00:37:03,421 --> 00:37:05,757 that has shaped Iceland. 595 00:37:05,757 --> 00:37:08,793 (Water gushing) 596 00:37:08,793 --> 00:37:10,361 Waterfalls. 597 00:37:21,106 --> 00:37:24,509 Iceland's climate and topography combine to generate 598 00:37:24,509 --> 00:37:28,613 some of the most stunning waterfalls in the world. 599 00:37:28,613 --> 00:37:32,417 On some parts of the island, waterfalls outnumber people. 600 00:37:34,619 --> 00:37:37,155 In this North-Atlantic climate, 601 00:37:37,155 --> 00:37:40,058 snow and rain frequently drench the land. 602 00:37:44,362 --> 00:37:46,231 High in the mountains, 603 00:37:46,231 --> 00:37:50,368 melting glaciers feed frigid rivers 604 00:37:50,368 --> 00:37:53,238 already swollen from precipitation. 605 00:37:55,306 --> 00:37:57,542 Over dozens of miles, 606 00:37:57,542 --> 00:38:01,079 these glacial rivers gather pace and volume. 607 00:38:03,181 --> 00:38:06,518 Finally, they roar over rocky cliffs. 608 00:38:06,518 --> 00:38:18,796 (♪♪♪) 609 00:38:18,796 --> 00:38:20,665 At Selfoss, 610 00:38:20,665 --> 00:38:24,169 an unending flow of glacial melt water 611 00:38:24,169 --> 00:38:28,206 cascades over the ridge, battering the rocks below. 612 00:38:30,742 --> 00:38:32,644 More than 30 feet high, 613 00:38:32,644 --> 00:38:35,313 Selfoss generates immense power. 614 00:38:37,282 --> 00:38:38,750 But it is a trickle 615 00:38:38,750 --> 00:38:41,186 compared to what lies downstream. 616 00:38:45,423 --> 00:38:46,558 Dettifoss. 617 00:38:49,294 --> 00:38:53,198 150 feet high. 618 00:38:53,198 --> 00:38:54,599 300 feet wide. 619 00:38:56,534 --> 00:39:01,472 It is the largest waterfall in Europe, 620 00:39:01,472 --> 00:39:04,642 powerful enough to fracture solid rock. 621 00:39:04,642 --> 00:39:10,448 (♪♪♪) 622 00:39:10,448 --> 00:39:13,484 Early Icelanders called Dettifoss 623 00:39:13,484 --> 00:39:15,687 "the king of all waterfalls". 624 00:39:18,556 --> 00:39:20,358 On an average day, 625 00:39:20,358 --> 00:39:23,595 enough water cascades over its crest line 626 00:39:23,595 --> 00:39:26,364 to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool 627 00:39:26,364 --> 00:39:29,534 every 5 seconds. 628 00:39:29,534 --> 00:39:32,670 In warm weather, which boosts meltwater, 629 00:39:32,670 --> 00:39:34,706 or on rainy days, 630 00:39:34,706 --> 00:39:38,309 even more water is unleashed. 631 00:39:38,309 --> 00:39:41,446 Dettifoss is a magnificent display 632 00:39:41,446 --> 00:39:43,281 of the power of water. 633 00:39:43,281 --> 00:39:45,450 It's a breathtaking thing to see. 634 00:39:45,450 --> 00:39:46,718 And when you're standing next to it, 635 00:39:46,718 --> 00:39:48,286 not only can you oversee it 636 00:39:48,286 --> 00:39:50,722 and hear the rumble from the water, 637 00:39:50,722 --> 00:39:52,490 but if you touch the rocks around it, 638 00:39:52,490 --> 00:39:55,260 you can feel them trembling. 639 00:39:55,260 --> 00:39:57,729 So the power there is just unbelievable. 640 00:39:57,729 --> 00:40:05,637 (♪♪♪) 641 00:40:05,637 --> 00:40:09,307 The river that feeds the largest waterfall in Europe 642 00:40:09,307 --> 00:40:14,078 is in turn fed by the largest glacier in Europe, 643 00:40:14,078 --> 00:40:15,780 Vatnajokull, 644 00:40:15,780 --> 00:40:18,249 more than 100 miles south of here. 645 00:40:20,852 --> 00:40:24,088 The river's glacial origins are evident 646 00:40:24,088 --> 00:40:26,457 in its unusual silvery color. 647 00:40:27,759 --> 00:40:29,727 Tiny remnants of rocks 648 00:40:29,727 --> 00:40:31,829 that have been crushed by the glacier 649 00:40:31,829 --> 00:40:35,099 are suspended in the river, 650 00:40:35,099 --> 00:40:38,436 creating an opaque-grey tint in the rushing water. 651 00:40:40,872 --> 00:40:44,475 On its long journey from glacier to sea, 652 00:40:44,475 --> 00:40:48,246 the river carves away at the highland bedrock 653 00:40:48,246 --> 00:40:52,116 washing away rock fragments to widen the valley. 654 00:40:52,116 --> 00:40:59,357 (♪♪♪) 655 00:40:59,357 --> 00:41:02,093 As the current nears the highlands, 656 00:41:02,093 --> 00:41:04,162 it builds in power, 657 00:41:04,162 --> 00:41:05,697 forming rapids 658 00:41:05,697 --> 00:41:08,166 that plunge into the canyon below. 659 00:41:09,500 --> 00:41:11,536 At the top of the falls, 660 00:41:11,536 --> 00:41:14,605 the force of the water is powerful enough 661 00:41:14,605 --> 00:41:16,607 to flatten rocks at the edge. 662 00:41:21,245 --> 00:41:24,749 At the bottom, the basin becomes larger 663 00:41:24,749 --> 00:41:28,820 as rushing water and sediment wear away at the rock 664 00:41:28,820 --> 00:41:33,257 causing the waterfall to recede upstream. 665 00:41:33,257 --> 00:41:35,526 It's slowly carving the canyon 666 00:41:35,526 --> 00:41:37,695 that we have below the waterfall. 667 00:41:37,695 --> 00:41:42,800 So in time it's slowly moving further inland, 668 00:41:42,800 --> 00:41:45,103 carving the rock that is underneath. 669 00:41:45,103 --> 00:41:47,271 So that's another form of Iceland 670 00:41:47,271 --> 00:41:48,840 being under construction. 671 00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:51,342 If you would return 2,000 years from now, 672 00:41:51,342 --> 00:41:53,144 it would probably be a little bit higher up 673 00:41:53,144 --> 00:41:54,479 than it is now. 674 00:41:54,479 --> 00:42:00,485 (♪♪♪) 675 00:42:00,485 --> 00:42:03,521 Dettifoss plummets into a gorge, 676 00:42:03,521 --> 00:42:06,491 1,600 feet wide... 677 00:42:06,491 --> 00:42:09,761 ...and 100 feet deep. 678 00:42:09,761 --> 00:42:12,230 This mighty canyon was formed 679 00:42:12,230 --> 00:42:14,799 by catastrophic glacial flooding, 680 00:42:14,799 --> 00:42:17,368 sometime after the last Ice Age. 681 00:42:21,639 --> 00:42:25,843 A volcanic eruption underneath the Vatnajokull glacier 682 00:42:25,843 --> 00:42:28,413 is believed to be the source of the flood. 683 00:42:30,214 --> 00:42:31,482 At its peak, 684 00:42:31,482 --> 00:42:34,152 the flood roared over the plateau 685 00:42:34,152 --> 00:42:37,588 with four times the power of the Amazon River 686 00:42:37,588 --> 00:42:40,158 taking out everything in its path. 687 00:42:42,260 --> 00:42:45,530 The spectacular collision of fire and ice 688 00:42:45,530 --> 00:42:47,598 can wipe out entire landscapes. 689 00:42:50,134 --> 00:42:51,803 But as evidenced here, 690 00:42:51,803 --> 00:42:57,141 fire and ice work together to create stunning new worlds. 691 00:43:01,546 --> 00:43:05,249 In the north of Iceland, a barren plain, 692 00:43:05,249 --> 00:43:08,286 scarred by lava from a volcanic eruption 693 00:43:08,286 --> 00:43:11,322 more than 9,000 years ago, 694 00:43:11,322 --> 00:43:13,791 gives way to a tumbling waterfall, 695 00:43:13,791 --> 00:43:15,560 65 feet high. 696 00:43:18,229 --> 00:43:20,264 This is Aldeyjarfoss. 697 00:43:20,264 --> 00:43:28,072 (♪♪♪) 698 00:43:28,072 --> 00:43:29,640 Foaming glacial water 699 00:43:29,640 --> 00:43:32,777 gushes through its narrow passage, 700 00:43:32,777 --> 00:43:37,748 thrashing into a wide basin surrounded by basalt columns. 701 00:43:40,318 --> 00:43:44,622 These peculiar formations are the result of lava flows 702 00:43:44,622 --> 00:43:48,826 that have cooled quickly, contracted and cracked 703 00:43:48,826 --> 00:43:52,663 to create precise geometric structures. 704 00:43:52,663 --> 00:43:53,798 Below the waterfall, 705 00:43:53,798 --> 00:43:57,368 we have this wonderful display of the basalt columns 706 00:43:57,368 --> 00:43:58,769 that are hidden underground 707 00:43:58,769 --> 00:44:00,104 and we can only see them 708 00:44:00,104 --> 00:44:02,707 because this raging torrent of water 709 00:44:02,707 --> 00:44:07,612 has carved this canyon for us to get a peek into the Earth. 710 00:44:07,612 --> 00:44:10,815 These basalt columns are not, all of them straight. 711 00:44:10,815 --> 00:44:13,818 It's very interesting to watch them in that area 712 00:44:13,818 --> 00:44:16,087 because they're kind of-- they're curved, 713 00:44:16,087 --> 00:44:18,256 they're going in all different directions. 714 00:44:18,256 --> 00:44:21,692 So around Aldeyjarfoss, we have nature 715 00:44:21,692 --> 00:44:24,795 creating this abstract piece of art for us. 716 00:44:24,795 --> 00:44:32,303 (♪♪♪) 717 00:44:32,303 --> 00:44:34,672 Not only do Iceland's waterfalls sculpt 718 00:44:34,672 --> 00:44:37,842 its ever-evolving landscape, 719 00:44:37,842 --> 00:44:40,745 they have also played a pivotal role in its culture. 720 00:44:45,449 --> 00:44:48,419 Godafoss, in north Iceland, 721 00:44:48,419 --> 00:44:50,488 is closely connected to one of the most 722 00:44:50,488 --> 00:44:55,326 influential events in the country's history: 723 00:44:55,326 --> 00:44:58,429 the conversion from heathendom to Christianity 724 00:44:58,429 --> 00:44:59,797 in the year 1000. 725 00:45:03,367 --> 00:45:06,804 According to legend, Iceland's lawspeaker, 726 00:45:06,804 --> 00:45:09,206 himself a pagan priest, 727 00:45:09,206 --> 00:45:11,776 was faced with a growing religious crisis 728 00:45:11,776 --> 00:45:13,711 between Christians 729 00:45:13,711 --> 00:45:18,716 and those who worshipped the old Nordic Gods. 730 00:45:18,716 --> 00:45:23,154 The lawspeaker declared Iceland would become Christian. 731 00:45:23,154 --> 00:45:25,222 In a symbolic act, 732 00:45:25,222 --> 00:45:30,061 he hurled statues of the old Norse Gods into the fall. 733 00:45:30,061 --> 00:45:33,497 Hence its name, Godafoss, 734 00:45:33,497 --> 00:45:35,266 the waterfall of the Gods. 735 00:45:39,337 --> 00:45:43,074 Even in the winter months, when temperatures plummet 736 00:45:43,074 --> 00:45:45,743 and ice extends its grip, 737 00:45:45,743 --> 00:45:50,081 Iceland's waterfalls continue to flow 738 00:45:50,081 --> 00:45:53,417 due to the sheer power of the glacial rivers 739 00:45:53,417 --> 00:45:56,420 that pour from its tremendous ice caps. 740 00:45:56,420 --> 00:46:06,063 (♪♪♪) 741 00:46:06,063 --> 00:46:07,365 Iceland is alive. 742 00:46:11,068 --> 00:46:13,304 Its landscape is ever-evolving. 743 00:46:15,806 --> 00:46:19,176 Glaciers that appear frozen in time 744 00:46:19,176 --> 00:46:21,445 are on the move, 745 00:46:21,445 --> 00:46:25,416 cutting away mountains and gouging out valleys 746 00:46:25,416 --> 00:46:27,485 as they advance and retreat. 747 00:46:29,787 --> 00:46:32,523 It is a challenging wilderness, 748 00:46:32,523 --> 00:46:37,728 a place where cold waves crash onto volcanic rock, 749 00:46:37,728 --> 00:46:42,066 where treacherous crevasses yawn 750 00:46:42,066 --> 00:46:44,001 and icebergs are born. 751 00:46:47,204 --> 00:46:49,640 Deep below its glaciers, 752 00:46:49,640 --> 00:46:54,378 molten lava burns and volcanoes stir 753 00:46:54,378 --> 00:46:56,681 as fire and ice collide. 754 00:46:58,449 --> 00:47:02,219 But climate change has tipped the balance. 755 00:47:02,219 --> 00:47:06,123 Iceland's glaciers are melting, 756 00:47:06,123 --> 00:47:10,027 freeing volcanoes from their icy grip, 757 00:47:10,027 --> 00:47:14,699 triggering violent eruptions and thundering floods 758 00:47:14,699 --> 00:47:16,233 that sculpt the land. 759 00:47:20,337 --> 00:47:23,107 Glaciers play a tremendous role 760 00:47:23,107 --> 00:47:26,644 in Iceland's ever-changing environment. 761 00:47:26,644 --> 00:47:28,479 And yet they are disappearing. 762 00:47:30,181 --> 00:47:33,350 Deep within the ice lies history 763 00:47:33,350 --> 00:47:36,220 that scientists need to extract 764 00:47:36,220 --> 00:47:38,222 before it vanishes forever. 765 00:47:40,658 --> 00:47:44,628 In 200 years, Iceland's glaciers may be gone. 766 00:47:46,497 --> 00:47:47,798 For now, 767 00:47:47,798 --> 00:47:53,804 these icy giants remain a frozen wonder. 768 00:47:53,804 --> 00:48:03,981 (♪♪♪) 769 00:48:03,981 --> 00:48:12,423 (♪♪♪) 770 00:48:12,423 --> 00:48:18,629 (♪♪♪)