Closed Captioned
Grades 8-12, College, Adult
Directed by Michael Allder
Produced by Michael Allder and Gordon Henderson
DVD Purchase $250, Rent $85
US Release Date: 2012
Copyright Date: 2010
DVD ISBN: 1-93777-230-7
Subjects
African Studies
Anthropology
Earth Science
Environment
Geography
Geology
History
Oceans and Coasts
Plate Tectonics
Science
Technology
Society
Sociology
Awards and Festivals
2012 Science Books & Films Best List
The Pacific Rim: Americas
From the glaciers of Alaska to the Andes of Chile, the relentless subterranean forces that formed the eastern Pacific Rim have convulsed our cities and overshadow our future.
 |
"Weav[es] a dramatic story and the latest science with breathtaking aerial photography." Dr. Damian Nance, Editor, GSA Today |
The glaciers of Alaska, the Canadian Rockies, the foothills of California, the Atacama Desert and the Andes of Chile: they're all part of the eastern Pacific Rim and characters in the ongoing tectonic story of our planet. It's a tale of the relentless subterranean forces that have convulsed our cities and overshadow our future.
As Professor Nick Eyles of the University of Toronto Scarborough guides us along this geologic frontline, we discover the inevitable geologic journey of the Earth--a long-term shift that will see the Pacific Ocean crust destroyed and the surrounding land masses brought together.
The other titles in the series are:
Tectonic Europe - Examines the Earth's surface under pressure, from Iceland to the Alps, landscapes that inspired scientists to invent the study of geology.
Along The African Rift - Examines the East African Rift, Ethiopia's Afar Triangle, the Nile Valley and the Dead Sea Rift, places where the Earth's crust is ripping apart as molten rock pushes upwards.
The Western Pacific Rim - Examines the western Pacific Rim, home to 50% of the world's active volcanoes, and 90% of its earthquakes.
The Collision Zone: Asia - Examines the collision zone in Asia--from Indonesia's volcanoes at one end to the Himalayas at the other--which is in the process of forming the earth's next supercontinent.
Reviews
"Weaving a dramatic story and the latest science with breathtaking aerial photography, [The Pacific Rim: Americas] focuses on the destruction of oceans and the rise of mountains, and the earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions with which these violent processes are associated."
"The photography is breathtaking and the science content is accurate...get ready to be amazed."
"The Western Pacific Rim and The Pacific Rim: Americas are excellent for civics and history classes. Throughout history, individuals and society have lived with natural hazards to garner natural resources. The modern construct of plate tectonics rationally explains the occurrence of earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes on the Pacific Rim along with mineral and agricultural bounty, access to the ocean, and picturesque scenery. The interviews in the series clearly illustrate how informed people address this trade-off. Both titles in the series can spark excellent discussion about the hazards and benefits of living along active plate boundaries."
"Clear and accessible...The field locations [in The Pacific Rim: Americas] viewed from air and during field visits provide wonderful illustrations of underlying geologic dynamics, aided by historic footage of past earthquake effects. The few simple animated graphics interspersed with the film material help with explaining concepts that words and field geology can't quite bring across on their own. The film succeeds in bringing across the wide range of relevant scales of time and space of geology."
"The Pacific Rim: Americas illustrates the tectonic processes from the glacier-carved mountainscapes in Alaska to the high Chilean desert. This long, convergent margin is marked by violent earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, reminding us of the vulnerability of small to very large coastal communities in the Americas. A growing record of past events demonstrates the imminent dangers awaiting these areas, but also the beautiful, sometimes eerily rugged landscapes that are created. This film is an engaging introduction to tectonic processes and the geology that shaped the western Americas."