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Snowball

Episode 2 of 5

A look at how the giant supercontinent Rodinia broke up 800 million years ago. Earth’s tectonic forces ripped the land apart, kicking off a series of events that sent temperatures plummeting.

How Earth’s terrifying journey into the deep freeze started with fire, not ice. Eight hundred million years ago, long before the age of the dinosaurs, indeed any animal life, the giant supercontinent Rodinia broke up. Earth’s vast powerful tectonic forces ripped the land apart, kicking off a series of events that resulted in huge amounts of carbon dioxide being sucked from the atmosphere and sending global temperatures plummeting.

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58 minutes

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Credits

RoleContributor
PresenterChris Packham
DirectorBen Wilson
ProducerCatherine Gale
Line ProducerRaewyn Dickson
ComposerPaul Saunderson
Executive ProducerAndrew Cohen
Executive ProducerRob Liddell

Broadcasts

  • Mon 24 Jul 202321:00
  • Wed 26 Jul 202323:15
  • Tue 1 Aug 202307:50
  • Wed 28 Aug 202420:00
  • Tue 23 Sep 202516:15
  • Yesterday17:45
  • Yesterday18:15

An Interview with Planet Earth

An Interview with Planet Earth

If the Earth could talk, what would it tell us?