ICE WORLDS 2010 - ePlanetarium
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ICE WORLDS 2010 VERSION (SUBTITLES) REVISED: JULY 26, 2013 SCENE TIME SCRIPT 00:00 Welcome to Ice Worlds, a tour of the icy landscapes of our solar system - especially our home planet Earth. The International Polar Year has focused attention on measuring changes at the poles of our own planet and on determining why these changes occur. We will explore the ice on Earth and on the other ice worlds in our solar system to understand why Earth's poles are changing, and to determine the role that ice plays in the future of our world. TITLES OPENING TITLES 00:30 ICE WORLDS 00:49 Earth has two polar caps. This one covers the northern part of the planet, the arctic region. It is a huge ice covered ocean, surrounded by land. 01:02 Submarines can easily travel beneath it. Recent studies indicate that a sustained thinning and shrinkage of this ice cap is under way. 01:17 In summer, some craft have surfaced at the North Pole itself. It's even possible that by the middle of the century there will be no ice here at all during late summer. Major changes are happening in the arctic and scientists are watching closely. 01:35 At the Earth's South Pole a vast ice sheet covers the huge continent of Antarctica which is surrounded by the Southern Ocean.
Transcript of ICE WORLDS 2010 - ePlanetarium
ICEWORLDS2010VERSION(SUBTITLES) REVISED:JULY26,2013
SCENE TIME SCRIPT
00:00 WelcometoIceWorlds,atouroftheicylandscapesofoursolarsystem-especiallyourhomeplanetEarth.TheInternationalPolarYearhasfocusedattentiononmeasuringchangesatthepolesofourownplanetandondeterminingwhythesechangesoccur.WewillexploretheiceonEarthandontheothericeworldsinoursolarsystemtounderstandwhyEarth'spolesarechanging,andtodeterminetherolethaticeplaysinthefutureofourworld.
TITLES OPENINGTITLES
00:30 ICEWORLDS
00:49 Earthhastwopolarcaps.Thisonecoversthenorthernpartoftheplanet,thearcticregion.Itisahugeicecoveredocean,surroundedbyland.
01:02 Submarinescaneasilytravelbeneathit.Recentstudiesindicatethatasustainedthinningandshrinkageofthisicecapisunderway.
01:17 Insummer,somecrafthavesurfacedattheNorthPoleitself.It'sevenpossiblethatbythemiddleofthecenturytherewillbenoicehereatallduringlatesummer.Majorchangesarehappeninginthearcticandscientistsarewatchingclosely.
01:35 AttheEarth'sSouthPoleavasticesheetcoversthehugecontinentofAntarcticawhichissurroundedbytheSouthernOcean.
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01:54 UnbrokenbyotherlandmassesanddrivenbypowerfulwindsthetripacrossthisoceantoAntarcticaisoneoftheroughestoceanpassagesintheworld.
02:07 AroundtheedgeofAntarcticagreaticeriversoficecalledglaciersflowouttothesea,drainingtheinlandicesheet.SomeofthelastunexploredlandonEarthliesburiedunderthisblanketofice.
02:23 Mountainsandevenvolcanoespeekthroughandhintatthediversegeologyhiddenbeneath.
02:36 Specializedinstrumentshavepenetratedthetwoandahalfkilometersoficetoallowustoglimpseapictureofthislostworld.
02:49 It'salandasbigastheUnitedStateswithmountainsandevenlakesandrivers.
03:03 InthisdryvalleyinAntarcticawindpatternsandmountainshavepreventedicefromaccumulating.Herewecansteponpristineland,walkingonasurfacethathaschangedverylittleinthousandsofyears.
03:20 WeknowthatEarthisnottheonlyplanetthatcanbelockedinacoldembrace.ThislookslikeAntarcticabutit'sactuallyMars,acolddrydesertthathasbeeninthegripofaniceageformillionsofyears.
03:40 AtitsPolestherearegreataccumulationsofwaterandcarbondioxideice.
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03:46 Extensivelayeringoftheicesuggestsregularpatternsofchangeoverextendedperiodsoftime.
03:55 In2008thePhoenixspacecraftsuccessfullylandedintheMartianArctic.Itdetectedfallingsnowaswinterapproached.ThespacecraftalsodetectedchemicalcompoundsfavorablefortheexistenceofmicrobiallifeonMars.
04:16 Thisisacomet,adustyballoficeuptoahundredandsixtykilometersacross.AsitapproachestheSuntheicevaporizes,fillingspacewithahugetrail.Scientistshavespeculatedthatcometsfurnishedtheearlyearthwithhalfitswaterandperhapsevenmorecomplexchemicals.
04:41 CometscomefrombeyondMars.HereinthecoldouterregionsoftheSolarSystemweencountersomeofthestrangesticeworlds.
04:55 Europaisaplanet-sizedmoonofJupiter.Itsicysurfaceshowssignsofrecentcrackingandrefreezingandmaybeevenfloating.
05:09 Beneaththisfrozencrusttheremaybeanoceanofliquidwater.
05:14 Futurespacecraftwilltrytoprobeitsdepths.
05:24 AnotherfrozenmoonisSaturn'sEnceladus.TheCassiniSpacecrafthasimagedfantasticfountainsofvaporshootingoutfromitssouthernpole.
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05:37 SmallerthanEuropa,itstillmightharborawateryinterior,andthefountainssuggestthatsomemechanismiskeepingitwarmenoughtovent.
05:52 VaporfromEnceladusmightbehelpingformpartofSaturn'sringsystem.Ithasbeenknownforsometimenowthatthemainringsareformedofcar-sizedchunksofwaterice.Theirageandoriginthoughremainamystery.
06:10 EvenmoremysteriousisTitan,amoonofSaturnasbigastheplanetMercury.We'redroppingthroughitsmethanecloudswiththeHuygensLander.ThisisaworldthatresemblestheearlyEarthbutinadeepfreeze.
06:28 Becauseoftheextremecold,iceactslikerockonTitan.ThereareIcemountains,volcanoes,andpossiblyevenmethanesnow.Lakesofnaturalgascovervastareasandthischemicalbrothmayharborsomeofthemostexcitingfindsforfutureexplorers.
06:48 Anothergiantmoon,TritonorbitsNeptune.Fountainingfromitsicysurfacearegiantninekilometerhighgeysers.Someunknownmechanismcausesthemtobeblownoverbyalmostninetydegrees.
07:07 NASA'sLCROSSmissionrecentlydiscoveredthatEarth'snearestneighborhasicehiddendeepinpermanentshadowsatitssouthpole.ANASAradarinstrumentonanIndianMoonprobehasalsofoundoversixhundredmillionmetrictonsofwatericeonthebottomsofcratersattheMoon'sNorthPole.
07:36 Inoursolarsystem,iceworldsgreatlyoutnumbertheactualplanets.Farfrombeingadeadcoldsubstance,iceisveryactive,andveryabundant.Someworldsevenhavevolcanoeseruptingthroughanicysurface.In2010,avolcanounderaglacierinIcelandspewedanashplumetoaheightofover10kilometers.ThejetstreamcarriedthisashovertheUnitedKingdomandnorthernEurope,groundingairtravel.Largereruptionscansendashhigherandhaveanevengreatereffectontheearth'sclimate.
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08:27 The1815eruptionoftheTamboravolcanoinIndonesiainjectedaerosolshighintotheupperatmosphere.Thisashreflectedsunlight,leadingtoadropinglobaltemperaturesandayearwithoutasummerinNorthernEurope,NortheasternCanada,andtheUnitedStates.TheeruptionofMt.PinatubointhePhilippinesin1991,madeasimilar,thoughmoremoderateimpactontheclimate.
09:05 SolarRadiationreachingaplanet'ssurfacehasadramaticeffectontemperatureandicemelt.TheSun'sbrightnesschangesslightlyfromyeartoyearinanelevenyearcycle.Thissunspotcycle,coupledwithlongertermvariationinsolaractivity,isoneoftheprocessesthatcanleadtomoderateglobaltemperaturechangesonEarthandontheotherplanets.
09:37 Earthisnottheonlyplanetwithice,butitistheonlyplanetwithliquidwater.MuchoftheSun'sheatisabsorbedbyearth'stropicaloceans,andcarriedaroundtheglobebyoceancurrentsmovingfromthehotequatortowardthepoleswithreturningcold,saltywateratgreaterdepths.EuropegetsasmuchasthirtypercentofitsheatfromsuchacurrentcalledtheGulfStream.Changesinthearcticcouldslowthisprocessorevenswitchitoff.
10:11 Earthisuniqueinhavingwateronitssurfaceinallthreestates;solidice,liquidwater,andwatervapor.Liquidoceansabsorbsolarenergywhileicecoveredpolarcapsreflectit.
10:28 Anicebergisareflector,floatingonanabsorbingocean.Watergetslessdenseasitfreezes,soicebergsandtheicecoveronpondsandoceansfloat.Seveneighthsofafloatingicebergliesbelowthewaterline.
10:45 Iceturningtowater,suchasanearlysnowmelt,meltingicecoverontheocean,oreventhenumberoficebergscalvedintoafjord,canamplifyasmalltemperatureriseintoalargerchangethatcanaffectthewholeplanet.
11:03 EveryyeartheseasonscausedramaticchangesasEarth'sicecapsalternativelygrowandshrinkwiththeicecoverincreasingononepolewhilefadingontheother.Marchisthetimeofmaximumicecoverinthenorthandminimumcoverageinthesouth.SeptemberbringstheleasticeattheNorthPoleandthemosticeintheSouth.ForbothpolesthemaximumextentoftheiceoccursastheSunreturnsafterthelongwinter.
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11:43 AttheNorthPoleinwinter,theSunneverrisesandtherearesixmonthsoftwilightanddarkness.Starsseemtocirclethehorizonastheearthspins.Sometimesgreatcurtainsoflightcalledtheauroraborealisshimmerinthelongwinter'snight.
12:05 Weseewhathappensinspringasincreasingsolarenergymeltsiceandsnow.
12:12 Tosearchforchangesbeyondthosecausedbynaturalcycles,scientistslookforicerecordsinplaceslikeAlaska'sArcticNationalWildlifeRefuge.Twohundredyearsago,thisglacierwasgrowing,butnowit'sshrinkingatinincreasingrate.TheglaciertotherightwasoncepartoftheMcCawglacierwhichismovingdownthevalleyontheleft.Bothglaciersareretreating,leavingbehindglacierdebriscalledmoraines.TheMcCawglacierdepositedtheredcoloredmorainesnearthecenterofthisscene.
12:47 Muchofthearcticispermafrostterrainwherethegroundstaysfrozenthroughthesummer.ThispermafrosttunnelinAlaskaletsscientistviewtheundersideoficewedgesthatextendoverourheads.Mammothbonesandancienttundraarevisiblethroughoutthetunnelwalls.Clearstriationsintheicewereformedoverthousandsofyears.Scientistsexplorethepermafrosttunnel,lookingforcluesaboutpastclimatesandfuturelandscapechanges.Thechangeinthisregionofthetundraismorethantwentythousandyearsold.
13:33 Scientistsextractcoresbydrillingintotheiceforothercluesaboutthechangingclimate.BylateApril,theSunsetsaround3:00amontheMcCawglacier,bringingcoolertemperaturesthatmakedrillingintoiceandextractingicecoresmucheasier.Icecoresareremovedinonemetersectionsfromthedrill'scorebarrel.Researchersextracticecoresaslongasone-hundredfiftymeters,showingovertwocenturiesofclimatechangeontheglacier.
14:14 Drillingdownthoughthisicelikethisisliketravelingbackintime.InplaceslikeAntarctica,icehasbeenlaiddownfromthesnowsofsuccessivewinterformanythousandsofyears.
14:27 Icecoresarecollected,studied,andstored.Inthisroomicecoresarepreserved.Eachlayeroficeislikeatimecapsule.Itcontainsgasesandmaterialsthatrevealthetemperatureandatmosphericcompositionwhenitwaslaiddown.Deepicecoresprovidearecordthatcanstretchhundredsofthousandsofyearsintothepast.
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15:01 Carryingrecordslikeagiganticbarcode,anicecorefromAntarcticarevealsconditionsgoingback400,000years.Herewecanreadtheamountofcarbondioxideandtemperatureacrosstheagesandcomparethesedatawithcompanionsealevelinformationfromsedimentcores.Theamountofcarbondioxidehasshotupsincetheindustrialrevolutionandcontinuestoclimb.ScientistsarerecordingdramaticevidenceofanaccelerationoficemeltinGreenlandandtheArcticOcean,notcausedbythecycleoftheiceages.
15:43 PeriodicchangesintheEarth'sorbitandtinywobblesoveraone-hundredthousandyearcyclehavebeenaccompaniedbyextremeperiodsofcoldtemperaturesonEarth:theIceAges.
15:57 Attheheightofthelastgreaticeageabout20,000yearsagoicecoveredmuchofNorthAmericaandNorthernEurope.
16:07 NearwhereNewYorkistodaytheicewasoverakilometerthick.
16:16 Duringanearliericeage,avasticesheetcoveredtwothirdsoftheBritishIsles.
16:27 ThesiteofpresentdayLondoniswheretheadvancingglacierstoppedatthepinnacleofthesecondtolasticeage.
16:36 Evenduringthemostrecenticeage,therewassomuchwaterlockedupintheicethatsealevelswerelowerthantoday.
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16:44 EnglandwasjoinedtoEurope.
16:46 Astheicemelted,sealevelsrose,andtheBritishIsleswereborn,justtenthousandyearsago.
16:54 Forcenturies,sailorstriedtopenetratetheicepackinthearcticleftbythelasticeagetodiscoverapassageconnectingtheAtlanticandPacificoceans.
17:05 NowwiththemeltingofArcticseaice,thisNorthwestpassagehasbrieflyopenedthroughCanadianislands,pastthecoastofNorthernAlaska,andintotheNorthernPacificOcean.ThisNorthwestPassagereducestheoceandistancebetweenEuropeandAsiabythousandsofkilometers.MeltingseaicemaysoonopenupmuchoftheArcticOceantotravel,shipping,andeventooff-shoredrillingforoilandnaturalgas.
17:39 FiveborderingcountriescanclaimpartsoftheArcticseafloor:Russia,Norway,Denmark(throughGreenland),Canada,andtheUnitedStates.Historicallyacountry'sboundaryhasbeen200nauticalmilesfromitscoastline,leavingthecentralArcticOceanunclaimed.However,accordingtotheLawoftheSeatreaty,countriescanextendtheirclaiminareasthatareanextensionofthatcountry'scontinentalshelf.Expertsestimatesthat22%oftheworld'sundiscoveredresources,includingoilandnaturalgas,lieoff-shoreintheextensivecontinentalshelvesoftheArctic,bringingadditionalenvironmentalriskwithoffshoredrilling.
18:24 AnundersearidgeextendsfromthecontinentalshelfthatbordersCanadaandGreenlandoverthePoletoRussia'scontinentalshelf.AllthreenationsnowclaimthisridgeandseektoextendtheirterritorytotheNorthPole.InAugust2007,twomini-submarinesplantedaRussianflagontheridgeneartheNorthPole.Ifrecognized,thisclaimwouldgiveRussiacontrolofalmosthalfoftheArcticOcean.TheColdRushhasbegun.
19:04 Townsandsettlementsinthearcticareadaptingtochangesinicecoverandtotheresultingchangestotheirwayoflife.Thisglacier,nearthetownofIlulissat,WestGreenland,isoneofnature'sgreatbulldozers.
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19:18 Inhumanhistorynothinghasdonemorethanicetoshapeourworldanddrivetheclimateofthewholeplanet.
19:29 Here,beneathamassiveglacier,weseenatureatitsmostpowerful.
19:37 Lifeneartheglacierhaschangeddramatically.Withverylittleiceonthebayoverthelastdecade,travelisverydifferentnow.Boatshavereplaceddogsleds.Thisisasmallsignofpossiblegreaterchanges,whichcouldaffectvastregionsoftheplanet.
20:01 Researchersarealsomonitoringlargepolarcreaturesthathaveadaptedtothecoldandextremeweatherchangesofthearctic.Foundonlyinthenorth,polarbearsusetheseaicecoveroftheArcticOceanasaplatformforhuntingseals.
20:19 Asseaicemeltsearliereachyear,polarbearsmustfleetoshoreweeksbeforetheyhavecaughtenoughfoodtosurvivetheperiodofscarcefoodinthelatesummerandearlyfall.Disappearingseaicewillleadtothinnerbears,lowerbirthrates,andlowersurvivalratesforyoungbears.
20:41 Whilepolarbearsareretreatingformeltingseaiceduringarcticsummer,winteriscomingtotheAntarctic.IcecoverinandaroundAntarcticapracticallydoublesinsizeasicytendrilsencroachfurtherintothesurroundingoceanduringwinter.
21:00 TheAntarcticicecapcontainstwo-thirdsofallthefreshwateronourworld.OnlynowarewebeginningtounderstandtheimportanceofthistoourplanetandtolifeintheAntarctic.
21:15 PolarscientistsaresearchingfortinylifeformsinAntarcticLakes.Heredivershavefoundlifeadaptedtothebittercold.Coloniesliveinmatsonthelakebottom,belowatleastfourmetersofice.Eventuallythesematsfloatoffthelakebottomandrisetotheiceabove.SomescientiststhinkthatEarthlifebeganintinypoolsofwatertrappedwithintheice.
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21:42 Althoughfewplantsoranimalscansurviveonthecontinentitself,orinitsicylakes,theoceanaroundAntarcticaisoneofthemostprolificspotsforlifeonEarth.PenguinsmaybethemostwellknownAntarcticanimalsbutthemostimportantandmostabundantarekrill.
22:02 TinyplantscalledalgaecovertheseaiceasspringreturnstoAntarctica.Whensummer'sheatmeltstheice,algaereleasedintothewaterfeedthetinykrill.Krillaretinycrustaceans,justafewcentimetersacross.Thebecomefoodforagreatvarietyofseals,whales,birds,andpenguins.Wherevertheyaremeasured,krillnumbershavedroppedalarminglyinrecentyears.
22:28 Antarcticaandthearcticpresentamazingandspectacularice-scapes.Themorewelearn,themorewerealizetheimportantrolethesefantasticplacesplayinmakingourworldhabitable.Thepolesofourplanetarechangingandsomeofthesechangesarerapid.Onlybyobserving,learningandtakingappropriateactioncanweensurethatEarthremainsahealthyhabitablespaceshipforusandallitsvoyagers.
CREDITS CLOSINGCREDITS
Copyright 23:02 2010,TheHoustonMuseumofNaturalScience
Narration JimBrattonCeciliaOttenweller
Photography MattNolan
Music ShaiFishman
PresentedBy Evans&SutherlandCreativeMediainassociationwiththeUniversityofNewHampshire,TheHoustonMuseumofNaturalScience,andtheNationalScienceFoundationPresentsICEWORLDS
ExecutiveProducers TerenceMurtaghKirkJohnson
Producer/Director MichaelDaut
AssociateProducer Dr.CarolynSumners
Writers TerenceMurtaghMichaelDaut
Art/AnimationDirectors KenCarlsonMartySisam
AdditionalAnimations DonDavis
Narrator EmilyWatson
NarrationRecordist DomBocher
Music AlexanderVanBubenheim
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SoundDesignandMix BobEdwards
PostProductionSoundServicesProvidedBy
SkywalkerSoundALucasfilmLtdCompanyMarinCounty,California
Post-ProductionRendering BryceBuchannan
Post-Production MichaelDaut
EngineeringSupport NealMayerJoyceRinggenbergMarkBloomenthalLynnBuchananBenBuckwalterNickHollandKarenKlamczynskiRieMatsubaraBrianMooreMelindaOrmsFredOrrellTammyPfitzerStanfordPitcherKevinScottJoshWhetstoneBoydWhitingAmyWrightKathyWright
ProjectAdministration BarbaraMcBrideChristyMoore
ProjectAccounting GregGoates
SalesSupport JeriPanerScottNiskachStevePushka
ProductionManagement NarrateoLimited
UniversityofNewHampshireScienceAdvisors
AnnetteSchlossMarkFahnestockRichardB.LammersJonathanPundsack
HoustonMuseumofNaturalScienceCrewAnimation
AdamBarnesTonyButterfield
HMNSCurriculum/Software ClaireParkerBessieDawsonNancyLlamoColinLaw
PlanetaryVisionsCrewAnimator
AndrewWayne
PlanetaryVisionsCrewDataSpecialist
TimWilkinson
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PlanetaryVisionsCrewProducer
PhilipEales
HighDefinition&VideoPhotography
TerenceMurtagh
StillPhotography NicholasHoldsworthTerenceMurtachSueWerner
ArticandAntarcticTravel AuroraExpeditions,Sydney
FacilitiesProvidedBy UniversityCollege,London
ProducedWithSupportFrom TheNationalScienceFoundatonincelebrationoftheInternationalPolarYear
LocationPhotography TheHighArcticNorthernGreenlandTheAntarcticPeninsulaTheRossSeaRegioninAntarcticaandMacquarrieIsland
SpecialThanksTo NationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministrationEuropeanSpaceAgencyAdVoiceUK
ProducedInAssociationWith NarrateoLimited
Copyright2008 Evans&Sutherland
SupportedBy NationalScienceFoundationunderGrantNo.0712815
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