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For centuries,
humanity has repeatedly faced
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devastating disasters
that have unleashed
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destruction,
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defied explanation,
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and changed the
course of history.
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In our modern
world, we tend to think
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that scientific knowledge
and technology
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can help protect us
from almost anything,
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including natural disasters.
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But is that really true?
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Or are we just as
vulnerable today
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in the face of raging fires,
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violent earthquakes
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and destructive hurricanes
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as our ancestors
were in the past?
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Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.
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The city is in the midst of an
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unprecedented period
of growth and prosperity.
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That is, until a
small fire breaks out
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in a barn located at
137 DeKoven Street.
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The blaze quickly
grows out of control,
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and flames spread north and east
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toward the heart of the city,
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putting Chicago's
324,000 residents
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in grave danger.
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1871 Chicago had experienced
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enormous growth, and
that enormous growth
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meant very fast building,
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and also very fast
building in wood.
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Buildings were made out of wood,
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and sidewalks were
made out of wood,
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and the important thing
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about sidewalks
being made out of wood
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is those conduct
heat very easily
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from one part of
the city to the other,
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and so, that spread the
fire throughout the city.
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This was exacerbated by a period
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of an extremely
dry summer and fall,
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which prepped most
of the city's construction,
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which was wood at the time,
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as kindling.
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The whole thing was basically
waiting to go up in smoke.
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Buildings were
clustered together.
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So, once one area went up,
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the whole thing went up,
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and to make matters worse,
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the water tower in Chicago,
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which was the firefighters'
principal source for water
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to fight the fire,
was itself destroyed.
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Since the authorities
were unable to contain the blaze,
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nine different fires
broke out across the city,
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eventually coalescing
into a single
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raging inferno.
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The Chicago Fire was
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biblically devastating, if you
want to think of it like that.
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Try to visualize
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what the people in the
mid-19th century were seeing.
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An entire city engulfed in
flames, which was so hot
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it created the fire
equivalent of dust devils.
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Vortices, think of them
like reverse tornadoes
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that were sweeping
across the city.
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They call them fire devils,
and they themselves,
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they have fast enough
winds that they could fling
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burning bits of debris
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into other parts of the city
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that hadn't yet caught on fire.
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So, literally, this was
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the world coming to
an end. Death by fire.
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For three days,
the fire raged across Chicago,
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turning the wooden
city into ash.
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One-third of the
city's buildings
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were burned to the ground,
and 300 people were killed
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before a rainstorm
mercifully put an end
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to the disaster.
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There were 17,000
buildings destroyed in that fire,
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and more than 100,000
people lost their homes.
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The fire basically destroyed
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most of the inner
city of Chicago.
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Anyone who experiences
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an incomprehensible disaster
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on the scale of the Chicago Fire
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is gonna be profoundly impacted
by it, and history shows us
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the Chicagoans were.
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There was intense
citywide grief.
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There was so much
pride in the city of Chicago,
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in what they'd become in
such a short period of time,
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that there was despair.
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Everything was gone.
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It's hard to
fathom 17,000 buildings
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in such a bustling,
prosperous city
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burning to the ground
in only a few short days.
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And in the wake of
the Great Chicago Fire,
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people wanted to know how
the massive inferno got started.
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But, at the time,
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investigations into fires
were in their infancy,
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so authorities had a hard time
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collecting evidence.
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What caused the fire?
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It was the question that
was in everyone's mind.
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You know, when people
were trying to figure out
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the origin of the fire,
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there was the popular story that
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it was a cow inside the barn
that kicked over a lantern,
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and from there, events unfolded.
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Now that's considered
an urban legend.
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There are many
different contested ways
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in which that could
have started, but it did
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start on the property
and spread from there.
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The destruction
unleashed by the Great Chicago Fire
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took nearly two years to repair.
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And during the
rebuilding process,
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engineers were told to ensure
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that such a disaster
could never happen again.
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In the aftermath
of the Chicago Fire,
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fire was principle
on everyone's mind,
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and so, almost immediately,
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they enacted a brand-new
series of ordinances
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requiring things like limestone,
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granite in building
construction.
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Steel beams instead of pine
beams, which are flammable.
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And a new
technological innovation,
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which was terra-cotta tiles,
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which started to
fireproof Chicago
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in a way that the world
basically had never seen before.
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After
the fire in Chicago, we got
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the origins... at least for the
U.S... of modern architecture.
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So, they began using iron
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and glass, giving us the
basis for modern buildings.
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And these would be, in a
sense, much less combustible.
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While the Great Chicago Fire
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inspired innovations
in fire prevention,
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it also served as
a reminder that,
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even though mankind
first mastered fire
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some 400,000 years ago,
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it remains a powerful
and unpredictable
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force of nature that
can inflict great harm.
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Fire is a frequent
disaster that comes upon people,
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but it's an interesting one.
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As far as we know, no other
species on the Earth, uh,
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makes fire, uh, to utilize it.
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It's one of the things
somewhat unique to our species.
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It's both necessary
and yet incredibly
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destructive and dangerous.
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This has been a part
of the human story
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for a long, long time.
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Fire is a double-edged sword.
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On one edge of the
sword, we're talking about
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creating foods and
creating warmth and light
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that makes modern
civilization possible.
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But the other side of the sword
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is if it gets out of control it
could wipe out your cities.
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In modern times, there have been
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tremendous
advances in firefighting.
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But mankind's ability
to stop fires quickly
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has led to an
unintended consequence
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that experts refer to as
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the fire paradox.
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We have generated
a fire paradox.
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By this, I mean
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we have dramatically
affected fire
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in the landscape
around the world.
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On the one hand,
we've been fighting fires,
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trying to stop wildfires from
consuming the vegetation.
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Now, this may sound
good, but, at the same time,
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it's actually a problem.
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If you reduce natural
fire from the landscape,
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if you keep it out of
landscape for too long,
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you will have an accumulation
of flammable material,
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and when a fire
eventually occurs,
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it'll be more destructive.
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Wildfires are becoming
longer and more intense.
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The data proves this.
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For example, one of
the largest megafires
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in California so far was called
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the August Complex fire,
which happened in 2020.
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It was so large that it
burned over a million acres,
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which is just
unheard of in history.
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Ever since we had the
Great Chicago Fire in 1871,
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we had been under the
impression that we shouldn't
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ever try to allow fire to
happen on the landscape.
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We now know that we should
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actually allow some
fire to happen naturally.
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And all we can do is do
our best to understand it
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because these fires are
gonna keep happening.
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It's staggering to think
that, in just three short days,
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the Great Chicago Fire
wreaked so much havoc,
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it took nearly two years
to repair the damage.
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But there have been
other disasters in history
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that have inflicted even
greater destruction on civilization.
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Like in the year 1755,
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when a massive
earthquake nearly wiped out
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an entire city.
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Across the city,
a celebration is underway.
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Thousands of Christians
are packed into churches
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to celebrate a festival
known as All Saints' Day.
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But then, at about 10:00 a.m.,
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without warning,
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disaster strikes.
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A massive
magnitude 8 earthquake occurred in
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the Atlantic Ocean
seafloor right along
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the tectonic plate boundary
between Eurasia and Africa.
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The shaking from this earthquake
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knocked down about 85%
of the buildings of Lisbon.
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Even worse, this
earthquake occurred
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while most people were in mass,
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in church or cathedrals
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on All Saints' Day.
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Lisbonites are in
all these churches,
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and many of the
most major churches
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in Lisbon were destroyed.
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It was one of the most
devastating earthquakes
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that Europe had
seen in centuries.
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In a matter of
minutes, the massive earthquake
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reduced the buildings
throughout Lisbon to rubble
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and opened a 16-foot-wide crack
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in the ground through
the center of the city.
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Estimates place the death
toll as high as 50,000 people,
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or about 20% of
Lisbon's population.
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In the early 1700s,
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if you had listed the five
great cities of Europe:
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London,
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Paris,
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Rome, you well might have
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included Lisbon in that list.
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But, after 1755,
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Lisbon's glory was reduced,
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literally, to ashes.
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Lisbon rebuilt,
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but never really reached
the same glory that it had.
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In the aftermath
of the horrific quake,
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the residents of Lisbon
struggled to understand
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why this tragedy
had befallen their city.
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Many among the
Christian populace,
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who had only heard of such
devastation in the Holy Bible,
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believed the earthquake
to be an act of God.
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Lisbon was dominated
by the Catholic Church.
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A very, very religious city.
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So, lots of theologians
started to ponder
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00:12:02,917 --> 00:12:05,500
the meaning of this
event in religious terms
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because the fact was, this
earthquake had struck Lisbon
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on one of its holiest days,
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the feast of all saints.
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00:12:13,708 --> 00:12:16,833
It had killed tens of
thousands of Christians
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while they were worshipping.
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00:12:18,625 --> 00:12:21,042
Why did God choose this day
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to bring an earthquake
upon the people of Lisbon?
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And this was a confrontation
for many theologians,
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00:12:27,708 --> 00:12:29,750
and they blamed
the people of Lisbon.
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00:12:29,875 --> 00:12:31,917
They said, "You must
have been sinful."
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00:12:32,042 --> 00:12:34,333
The only reason this
could have happened to you
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is that you are not
living by God's laws.
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While some
people thought the earthquake
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was a punishment from God,
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00:12:41,958 --> 00:12:45,375
others focused on
taking practical steps
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to guard against such
a calamity in the future.
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00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:51,292
One of those people was
Portugal's prime minister,
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the Marquis of Pombal.
258
00:12:54,542 --> 00:12:56,333
In the reconstruction of Lisbon,
259
00:12:56,458 --> 00:12:58,500
the Marquis de Pombal oversaw
260
00:12:58,625 --> 00:13:00,750
really critical innovations.
261
00:13:00,875 --> 00:13:04,292
The first is to build
earthquake-resistant buildings.
262
00:13:04,375 --> 00:13:07,417
These are built around
wooden frames that can actually
263
00:13:07,542 --> 00:13:10,125
sway with an earthquake,
rather than collapse.
264
00:13:10,208 --> 00:13:12,292
And then, he improves the city.
265
00:13:12,417 --> 00:13:15,583
Before, it was these
winding, medieval streets,
266
00:13:15,708 --> 00:13:17,500
which people could
get blocked up in.
267
00:13:17,625 --> 00:13:20,500
So, the Marquis de
Pombal, he redesigns the city
268
00:13:20,625 --> 00:13:24,375
on a gridiron system, so, all
of a sudden, you have now,
269
00:13:24,500 --> 00:13:27,208
really wide, straight streets,
270
00:13:27,333 --> 00:13:29,667
which are ideal for
evacuating people.
271
00:13:29,833 --> 00:13:31,667
And, in fact, the
way that he handled
272
00:13:31,833 --> 00:13:33,542
the reconstruction of the city
273
00:13:33,667 --> 00:13:37,500
is the first instance of modern
disaster response in history,
274
00:13:37,625 --> 00:13:41,167
where someone actually
tries to take a rational response
275
00:13:41,292 --> 00:13:43,458
to the effects of
a natural disaster.
276
00:13:43,583 --> 00:13:46,958
The varied
reactions to the Lisbon earthquake
277
00:13:47,083 --> 00:13:50,500
have actually been quite
common throughout human history.
278
00:13:50,583 --> 00:13:55,000
For thousands of years,
mankind has tried to make sense
279
00:13:55,083 --> 00:13:59,083
of these violent tremors that
often strike without warning.
280
00:13:59,208 --> 00:14:02,333
Earthquakes have a
really unique place, uh,
281
00:14:02,500 --> 00:14:05,833
in human consciousness
because you can't see it coming.
282
00:14:07,250 --> 00:14:08,958
It's not like a giant storm
283
00:14:09,042 --> 00:14:10,792
that you can see the
clouds approaching,
284
00:14:10,917 --> 00:14:13,917
see the lightning,
hear the thunder.
285
00:14:14,042 --> 00:14:16,958
Earthquakes, you
feel and you hear,
286
00:14:17,042 --> 00:14:19,500
but that happens in the moment.
287
00:14:19,625 --> 00:14:21,958
You can't run out of the way.
288
00:14:22,042 --> 00:14:25,333
There's nowhere to hide.
289
00:14:25,417 --> 00:14:27,625
The problem of earthquakes
and how to deal with them
290
00:14:27,708 --> 00:14:29,125
goes back to antiquity.
291
00:14:30,208 --> 00:14:33,250
The first seismometer
to measure earthquakes
292
00:14:33,375 --> 00:14:36,500
was actually invented by a
scientist named Chang Heng
293
00:14:36,625 --> 00:14:40,000
back in China in the first
century of the common era.
294
00:14:40,167 --> 00:14:43,333
This was a beautiful bronze,
295
00:14:43,417 --> 00:14:45,167
almost a cask,
296
00:14:45,333 --> 00:14:47,792
that had dragons
around the perimeter
297
00:14:47,917 --> 00:14:50,250
with balls in their mouths.
298
00:14:50,375 --> 00:14:55,208
And beneath them were a
little array of-of bronze frogs.
299
00:14:55,375 --> 00:14:57,917
And the way the device
worked is the pendulum
300
00:14:58,042 --> 00:15:00,500
inside would rock just so,
301
00:15:00,625 --> 00:15:04,667
bumping a lever in the direction
where the earthquake occurred,
302
00:15:04,750 --> 00:15:08,333
and a ball would fall out of
the dragon's mouth and land
303
00:15:08,458 --> 00:15:11,417
telling you the orientation
of an earthquake.
304
00:15:14,250 --> 00:15:17,667
And all developments since
then on earthquake detectors...
305
00:15:17,792 --> 00:15:19,000
We call them seismometers...
306
00:15:19,125 --> 00:15:21,500
Have been variations
on that theme.
307
00:15:21,625 --> 00:15:24,000
Today, experts
308
00:15:24,083 --> 00:15:26,208
understand that
earthquakes happen when
309
00:15:26,375 --> 00:15:28,208
massive underground rocks, known
310
00:15:28,333 --> 00:15:30,833
as tectonic plates,
suddenly collide,
311
00:15:30,958 --> 00:15:33,500
causing seismic
forces to be unleashed
312
00:15:33,625 --> 00:15:35,917
beneath our feet.
313
00:15:36,042 --> 00:15:38,875
Scientists can measure
an earthquake's power
314
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,000
and even pinpoint its location.
315
00:15:41,125 --> 00:15:44,042
But, in spite of
everything we've learned,
316
00:15:44,167 --> 00:15:46,750
we still have a hard
time predicting where
317
00:15:46,875 --> 00:15:48,917
and when
318
00:15:49,042 --> 00:15:51,250
the next earthquake will strike.
319
00:15:51,375 --> 00:15:53,833
With earthquakes,
320
00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:55,875
there's still a
component of uncertainty.
321
00:15:56,042 --> 00:15:58,708
And we are always
trying to improve
322
00:15:58,833 --> 00:16:00,833
our earthquake knowledge.
323
00:16:00,917 --> 00:16:02,583
We actually have
324
00:16:02,708 --> 00:16:04,042
extensive seismic networks
325
00:16:04,167 --> 00:16:06,042
that go all around the globe,
326
00:16:06,208 --> 00:16:08,833
where you can have an
earthquake in China that we sense
327
00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:11,167
in Virginia on a college campus.
328
00:16:11,292 --> 00:16:13,417
And that helps us
really triangulate
329
00:16:13,542 --> 00:16:14,917
where these events occur,
330
00:16:15,042 --> 00:16:17,750
how deep in the
crust they occur,
331
00:16:17,875 --> 00:16:19,917
and how big they really are.
332
00:16:20,042 --> 00:16:22,500
We've made huge
amounts of progress,
333
00:16:22,625 --> 00:16:25,917
but there is still so much
more we have to learn
334
00:16:26,042 --> 00:16:28,417
that will help us
understand where and when
335
00:16:28,542 --> 00:16:31,375
these quakes might happen,
so that we can save lives.
336
00:16:31,542 --> 00:16:35,542
While scientists haven't
learned how to predict earthquakes,
337
00:16:35,667 --> 00:16:39,083
a curious theory about
what causes some of them
338
00:16:39,208 --> 00:16:41,458
to occur has emerged.
339
00:16:41,583 --> 00:16:46,167
And it just so
happens that humanity
340
00:16:46,292 --> 00:16:50,458
may, in fact, be to blame.
341
00:16:50,583 --> 00:16:53,042
The idea of
human-induced earthquakes
342
00:16:53,167 --> 00:16:56,208
really comes to the
forefront of the social mind
343
00:16:56,333 --> 00:16:58,042
in construction of
the Hoover Dam
344
00:16:58,167 --> 00:16:59,667
in Nevada in the 1930s.
345
00:17:01,917 --> 00:17:04,000
It actually triggered a
series of earthquakes around
346
00:17:04,167 --> 00:17:06,000
the dam under construction.
347
00:17:06,083 --> 00:17:09,667
We think we can
create gigantic reservoirs
348
00:17:09,792 --> 00:17:12,417
without facing
consequences of these things.
349
00:17:12,542 --> 00:17:15,750
But if your reservoir is
near a fault line, watch out.
350
00:17:15,875 --> 00:17:21,000
There is a theory that a lot
of seismologists believe in
351
00:17:21,125 --> 00:17:24,042
that the earthquake
of 2008 in China
352
00:17:24,167 --> 00:17:27,500
that killed about 70,000 people
353
00:17:27,625 --> 00:17:29,833
was, in fact, created
354
00:17:29,917 --> 00:17:32,542
by this gigantic reservoir
355
00:17:32,708 --> 00:17:34,792
that put enormous pressure
356
00:17:34,875 --> 00:17:36,000
on a fault line,
357
00:17:36,125 --> 00:17:38,667
which then gave way.
358
00:17:38,833 --> 00:17:41,500
What happened in Sichuan in 2008
359
00:17:41,667 --> 00:17:42,875
is a wake-up call.
360
00:17:43,042 --> 00:17:45,333
A wake-up call in that
361
00:17:45,500 --> 00:17:47,333
when you tamper with the Earth
362
00:17:47,458 --> 00:17:50,750
you're tampering
with an earthquake.
363
00:17:51,875 --> 00:17:54,833
Is it possible that some of
the deadliest earthquakes
364
00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:58,833
in modern times were actually
caused by human activity?
365
00:17:58,958 --> 00:18:00,667
It's an unsettling theory,
366
00:18:00,792 --> 00:18:03,333
not only because of the
massive damage they inflict,
367
00:18:03,417 --> 00:18:06,250
but also because of
the devastating forces
368
00:18:06,375 --> 00:18:08,625
that are sometimes
triggered, like
369
00:18:08,708 --> 00:18:12,500
the destructive phenomenon
that scientists refer to
370
00:18:12,625 --> 00:18:20,625
as a megatsunami.
371
00:18:24,083 --> 00:18:25,625
Deep within the ocean floor,
372
00:18:25,750 --> 00:18:28,708
a massive earthquake
suddenly shakes the ground
373
00:18:28,875 --> 00:18:30,500
for nearly ten minutes.
374
00:18:32,792 --> 00:18:36,042
The energy released
measures an astounding 9.1
375
00:18:36,208 --> 00:18:38,958
on the Richter scale,
which is the equivalent
376
00:18:39,042 --> 00:18:41,583
of 23,000 atomic bombs
377
00:18:41,708 --> 00:18:43,083
exploding all at once,
378
00:18:43,208 --> 00:18:45,333
making this disaster
379
00:18:45,458 --> 00:18:49,250
the most powerful
earthquake of the 21st century.
380
00:18:51,583 --> 00:18:55,000
What happened was
there are two major plates
381
00:18:55,125 --> 00:18:56,965
on the Earth that are
smashing into each other.
382
00:18:57,042 --> 00:19:01,167
And when this happened,
it raised the seafloor there
383
00:19:01,250 --> 00:19:03,083
more than 100 feet
384
00:19:03,208 --> 00:19:05,875
across 900 miles.
385
00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:07,208
And what does this mean?
386
00:19:07,333 --> 00:19:09,667
This means a tsunami's coming.
387
00:19:09,792 --> 00:19:13,250
Tsunamis happen
when something causes
388
00:19:13,375 --> 00:19:15,375
the level of the
seafloor to go up.
389
00:19:15,500 --> 00:19:18,042
And when the seafloor goes up,
390
00:19:18,167 --> 00:19:20,125
it pushes the whole
water column up,
391
00:19:20,208 --> 00:19:24,125
and gravity causes
that water to flow away.
392
00:19:24,208 --> 00:19:27,167
This earthquake in 2004
393
00:19:27,333 --> 00:19:29,333
created a massive tsunami
394
00:19:29,417 --> 00:19:31,958
that spread all throughout
the Indian Ocean.
395
00:19:32,042 --> 00:19:36,250
The enormous tsunami
traveled across the Indian Ocean
396
00:19:36,375 --> 00:19:40,000
at a speed of more
than 500 miles per hour
397
00:19:40,125 --> 00:19:42,750
and smashed into
the western part
398
00:19:42,875 --> 00:19:45,125
of the island of Sumatra.
399
00:19:45,250 --> 00:19:47,750
20 minutes
or so after the quake,
400
00:19:47,875 --> 00:19:50,667
the nearest coastline in Sumatra
401
00:19:50,833 --> 00:19:53,708
suffered a hundred-foot
wall of water that came in.
402
00:19:53,875 --> 00:19:57,333
All but the tallest buildings
were completely submerged.
403
00:19:57,458 --> 00:20:00,333
So, immediate destruction.
404
00:20:01,917 --> 00:20:04,208
Two hours later, that same wave,
405
00:20:04,333 --> 00:20:06,250
traveling at more
than 500 miles per hour
406
00:20:06,375 --> 00:20:08,333
hits Thailand.
407
00:20:11,208 --> 00:20:13,583
Get in! Get in! Get in!
408
00:20:15,375 --> 00:20:17,335
Ten-year-old
Riley Sewell was on vacation
409
00:20:17,458 --> 00:20:19,042
in Thailand with her family
410
00:20:19,167 --> 00:20:21,375
when the giant tsunami struck.
411
00:20:21,500 --> 00:20:24,500
We are playing on the beach,
412
00:20:24,667 --> 00:20:26,792
and we look towards the shore,
413
00:20:26,875 --> 00:20:30,333
and we see this thin
white line is coming at us,
414
00:20:30,458 --> 00:20:33,042
and it's getting bigger and
bigger and bigger and bigger,
415
00:20:33,167 --> 00:20:36,000
and this was a 75-foot tsunami.
416
00:20:37,875 --> 00:20:41,667
My mom is shouting, "Run!
Run!" at the top of her lungs,
417
00:20:41,792 --> 00:20:44,708
and we start running
up this pathway
418
00:20:44,833 --> 00:20:46,708
up one of the cliffs.
419
00:20:46,833 --> 00:20:50,208
You can just hear,
like, this tsunami is loud
420
00:20:50,333 --> 00:20:51,792
and it's smashing.
421
00:20:53,250 --> 00:20:55,792
And it's, like,
destroying trees,
422
00:20:55,875 --> 00:21:00,167
but you can also hear
the sound of people dying.
423
00:21:00,333 --> 00:21:03,292
Sounds that no person
should ever hear,
424
00:21:03,375 --> 00:21:05,542
and no person should
ever experience.
425
00:21:07,250 --> 00:21:09,333
Had we not found that pathway,
426
00:21:09,417 --> 00:21:12,333
had we not run
as fast as we had,
427
00:21:12,417 --> 00:21:15,083
I wouldn't be
talking and breathing
428
00:21:15,208 --> 00:21:17,208
and speaking as I am right now.
429
00:21:17,333 --> 00:21:19,000
While Riley
Sewell and her family
430
00:21:19,125 --> 00:21:20,625
were lucky to survive,
431
00:21:20,750 --> 00:21:25,417
230,000 people in 14
different countries perished,
432
00:21:25,542 --> 00:21:30,500
in what was one of the deadliest
natural disasters in history.
433
00:21:30,625 --> 00:21:35,333
The tsunami
killed people in Africa, in India,
434
00:21:35,458 --> 00:21:39,167
and 70,000 people
died on Sri Lanka.
435
00:21:39,292 --> 00:21:42,542
So, people all across the world
436
00:21:42,667 --> 00:21:45,042
died from the huge
tsunami that hit.
437
00:21:45,167 --> 00:21:48,250
Frightening images
broadcast around the world
438
00:21:48,375 --> 00:21:50,125
gave billions of
people a first-hand look
439
00:21:50,208 --> 00:21:53,167
of the apocalyptic
power of tsunamis.
440
00:21:53,292 --> 00:21:56,375
And yet this disaster
441
00:21:56,500 --> 00:21:59,375
was only the latest
in a long history
442
00:21:59,500 --> 00:22:01,292
of doomsday tsunamis
443
00:22:01,375 --> 00:22:03,708
that have been
recorded for centuries.
444
00:22:05,500 --> 00:22:08,000
The earliest recorded
tsunami happened
445
00:22:08,125 --> 00:22:10,292
in the year 1630,
446
00:22:10,375 --> 00:22:11,625
before the common era.
447
00:22:11,750 --> 00:22:14,833
When a massive tsunami spread
448
00:22:14,958 --> 00:22:17,833
throughout the eastern
Mediterranean at that time
449
00:22:17,958 --> 00:22:21,875
and hit the island of
Santorini, in the Greek Isles.
450
00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,000
Now, interestingly,
451
00:22:24,083 --> 00:22:25,667
1,200 years later,
452
00:22:25,750 --> 00:22:27,500
the Greek philosopher Plato
453
00:22:27,625 --> 00:22:31,792
wrote of the story of Atlantis,
454
00:22:31,875 --> 00:22:36,458
which was a legend that had
been handed down for years orally.
455
00:22:36,583 --> 00:22:39,667
The story involved the
destruction of an island
456
00:22:39,792 --> 00:22:42,083
in a dramatic day and night,
457
00:22:42,208 --> 00:22:44,708
sinking beneath the waves.
458
00:22:44,875 --> 00:22:48,375
And many anthropologists
think that this legend
459
00:22:48,500 --> 00:22:51,333
actually could be referring
back to the tsunami
460
00:22:51,417 --> 00:22:53,583
that hit Santorini.
461
00:22:55,750 --> 00:22:58,417
A massive tsunami
may have been the inspiration
462
00:22:58,542 --> 00:23:01,833
for Plato's story of the
destruction of Atlantis,
463
00:23:01,917 --> 00:23:04,458
but on the other
side of the globe,
464
00:23:04,542 --> 00:23:06,708
the dangers of tsunamis
465
00:23:06,833 --> 00:23:11,333
were recorded in stone
on the island of Japan.
466
00:23:11,458 --> 00:23:14,208
Japan is based on
three major fault lines
467
00:23:14,375 --> 00:23:15,792
that collide,
468
00:23:15,875 --> 00:23:19,083
making it one of the most
geologically active areas
469
00:23:19,208 --> 00:23:20,833
for tsunamis.
470
00:23:20,917 --> 00:23:23,333
In fact, tsunami is
a Japanese word.
471
00:23:23,458 --> 00:23:26,625
Because tsunamis are
a regular occurrence,
472
00:23:26,708 --> 00:23:29,792
they put up stone
monuments saying in this year
473
00:23:29,875 --> 00:23:32,875
on this day, the water
went up to this level.
474
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:36,333
Coastal areas
such as Japan are still quite
475
00:23:36,500 --> 00:23:39,375
vulnerable to the
destructive power of tsunamis.
476
00:23:39,542 --> 00:23:41,333
But, fortunately,
477
00:23:41,500 --> 00:23:44,208
scientists have created
an early warning system
478
00:23:44,333 --> 00:23:47,917
which can alert people before
the next deadly tsunami strikes.
479
00:23:48,042 --> 00:23:52,500
This technology provides
people with a valuable resource
480
00:23:52,625 --> 00:23:55,333
that our ancestors did not have:
481
00:23:55,458 --> 00:23:59,083
the possibility to get
out of harm's way.
482
00:24:00,917 --> 00:24:03,667
There's a network of
buoys called DART buoys,
483
00:24:03,792 --> 00:24:05,167
and these are pressure sensors
484
00:24:05,292 --> 00:24:07,333
that sit on the ocean seafloor
485
00:24:07,500 --> 00:24:10,333
and can actually
detect the pressure
486
00:24:10,458 --> 00:24:12,708
of the tsunami
wave as it goes over.
487
00:24:12,833 --> 00:24:14,833
So, if a candidate earthquake
488
00:24:14,917 --> 00:24:16,458
is identified
489
00:24:16,542 --> 00:24:18,167
and then verified,
490
00:24:18,292 --> 00:24:19,917
it goes into a warning system
491
00:24:20,042 --> 00:24:21,708
that broadcasts a warning
492
00:24:21,833 --> 00:24:23,333
throughout the ocean basin,
493
00:24:23,417 --> 00:24:26,625
setting off sirens along coasts,
494
00:24:26,708 --> 00:24:29,042
and alerting people
by cell phone.
495
00:24:29,167 --> 00:24:32,375
However, there's still
many parts of the world
496
00:24:32,500 --> 00:24:34,167
that don't have
adequate coverage,
497
00:24:34,292 --> 00:24:36,708
and we need a lot more sensors
498
00:24:36,833 --> 00:24:39,750
to make sure that we
do a better job predicting
499
00:24:39,875 --> 00:24:44,167
and forecasting the
arrival of a tsunami.
500
00:24:44,292 --> 00:24:47,042
It's encouraging to know
that there's an early warning
501
00:24:47,167 --> 00:24:49,792
system that can help
us detect when a tsunami
502
00:24:49,917 --> 00:24:51,542
will strike before it happens.
503
00:24:51,708 --> 00:24:54,583
But some natural
disasters are so powerful
504
00:24:54,708 --> 00:24:56,958
and so inexplicable
505
00:24:57,042 --> 00:24:59,500
that it's almost impossible
to prepare for them.
506
00:24:59,625 --> 00:25:03,833
Like in the case of
a massive cataclysm
507
00:25:03,958 --> 00:25:07,292
that took place
almost 1,500 years ago
508
00:25:07,375 --> 00:25:09,208
that covered half the planet
509
00:25:09,333 --> 00:25:17,333
in total darkness.
510
00:25:20,833 --> 00:25:22,917
Spring
has arrived in the capital
511
00:25:23,042 --> 00:25:24,708
of the Byzantine Empire.
512
00:25:24,833 --> 00:25:26,917
But even though
winter has ended,
513
00:25:27,042 --> 00:25:30,167
the temperature
remains cold because
514
00:25:30,333 --> 00:25:33,417
the sky is so dark
515
00:25:33,542 --> 00:25:36,583
that it blocks out the sun.
516
00:25:36,708 --> 00:25:38,667
What is really astounding
517
00:25:38,833 --> 00:25:42,000
is the way that people described
518
00:25:42,125 --> 00:25:43,500
this 536 event.
519
00:25:43,667 --> 00:25:47,083
You had writers
explaining what happened
520
00:25:47,208 --> 00:25:49,500
in very precise detail
521
00:25:49,667 --> 00:25:52,000
from what they could observe.
522
00:25:52,125 --> 00:25:56,333
They described the
sun became darkened,
523
00:25:56,458 --> 00:25:59,708
and we felt a
thickening in the air,
524
00:25:59,875 --> 00:26:03,583
and we saw this
fog or this dust veil.
525
00:26:03,708 --> 00:26:05,625
Now, they didn't
know what caused it,
526
00:26:05,750 --> 00:26:08,083
but the descriptions
are extremely thorough.
527
00:26:09,250 --> 00:26:12,083
The
Byzantine historian Procopius
528
00:26:12,208 --> 00:26:16,125
wrote that the sun
shone at half its strength,
529
00:26:16,208 --> 00:26:18,167
like it was in eclipse.
530
00:26:18,333 --> 00:26:20,000
This was the start of a period
531
00:26:20,167 --> 00:26:22,750
of colder than
average temperatures.
532
00:26:22,875 --> 00:26:25,667
And the darkness
lasted for 18 months.
533
00:26:26,792 --> 00:26:30,042
The sun
was blocked by a dark sky
534
00:26:30,167 --> 00:26:31,833
for over a year?
535
00:26:31,958 --> 00:26:34,625
Such an improbable catastrophe
536
00:26:34,750 --> 00:26:36,958
may sound like it
was a fictional story
537
00:26:37,083 --> 00:26:41,333
taken from the pages of
ancient folklore or mythology.
538
00:26:41,458 --> 00:26:43,333
But, curiously,
539
00:26:43,500 --> 00:26:46,292
numerous historical accounts
of this event were written
540
00:26:46,375 --> 00:26:48,500
not just in Constantinople
541
00:26:48,583 --> 00:26:51,792
but all over the
world, during the year
542
00:26:51,875 --> 00:26:54,625
536 A.D.
543
00:26:56,500 --> 00:26:58,917
What happened in 536 was a
544
00:26:59,042 --> 00:27:03,167
climate event of considerable
magnitude that was
545
00:27:03,333 --> 00:27:05,208
terrible for the people
who lived through it.
546
00:27:05,333 --> 00:27:09,208
The most detailed record
547
00:27:09,375 --> 00:27:12,500
is in Latin, and it was
written by Cassiodorus,
548
00:27:12,667 --> 00:27:16,042
who was a high
civil servant in Italy.
549
00:27:16,167 --> 00:27:19,875
He wrote that the
sun gave off no warmth
550
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,875
at any time in the
course of the day.
551
00:27:23,042 --> 00:27:26,167
And there are also
records in Chinese
552
00:27:26,333 --> 00:27:29,125
that refer to a terrible cold,
553
00:27:29,250 --> 00:27:32,667
terrible freezing in the
summertime, and so,
554
00:27:32,792 --> 00:27:34,833
we've been able
to piece this story
555
00:27:34,917 --> 00:27:37,625
of this extraordinary
catastrophe together,
556
00:27:37,708 --> 00:27:41,833
combining the evidence
of sources of eyewitnesses
557
00:27:41,958 --> 00:27:44,667
who wrote their
reports in Greek,
558
00:27:44,833 --> 00:27:48,292
in Latin, and in, uh, Chinese.
559
00:27:49,500 --> 00:27:52,292
The Earth became cold.
560
00:27:52,375 --> 00:27:55,208
The crops died.
561
00:27:57,208 --> 00:28:00,208
The result was
tremendous food shortages,
562
00:28:00,333 --> 00:28:02,458
hunger,
563
00:28:02,542 --> 00:28:04,458
famine in places,
564
00:28:04,542 --> 00:28:08,167
migration and upheaval.
565
00:28:08,292 --> 00:28:11,458
It is clear from
the historical record that,
566
00:28:11,583 --> 00:28:14,000
starting in the
spring of 536 A.D.,
567
00:28:14,125 --> 00:28:16,500
the entire Northern Hemisphere
568
00:28:16,625 --> 00:28:18,625
experienced darkness
569
00:28:18,750 --> 00:28:21,792
and bitter cold for over a year.
570
00:28:22,750 --> 00:28:26,500
In fact, historians
have dubbed 536 A.D.
571
00:28:26,625 --> 00:28:30,375
the worst year to
be alive in history.
572
00:28:30,500 --> 00:28:33,750
But what could have caused
the sun to become blocked
573
00:28:33,875 --> 00:28:38,000
in the first place and for
such a long period of time?
574
00:28:38,167 --> 00:28:41,833
Numerous theories have been
proposed, including the idea
575
00:28:41,958 --> 00:28:46,667
that an asteroid impact
sent dirt into the atmosphere.
576
00:28:46,833 --> 00:28:49,792
But, in recent years,
577
00:28:49,917 --> 00:28:53,083
some scientists have
suggested the darkness
578
00:28:53,208 --> 00:28:57,250
may have been caused
by a volcanic eruption.
579
00:28:58,833 --> 00:29:01,667
When you think of a volcano,
you have an image of lava flows
580
00:29:01,750 --> 00:29:04,583
oozing out of the volcano.
581
00:29:04,708 --> 00:29:06,792
Well, yes, that's what happens,
582
00:29:06,875 --> 00:29:09,833
but that's not the only
thing which happens.
583
00:29:09,958 --> 00:29:13,625
You also have all
the soot and debris,
584
00:29:13,750 --> 00:29:16,292
which blanket the atmosphere
585
00:29:16,375 --> 00:29:19,333
and block out sunlight.
586
00:29:19,458 --> 00:29:21,917
And so, in 536, we think
587
00:29:22,042 --> 00:29:24,583
that there was a
volcanic eruption
588
00:29:24,708 --> 00:29:28,292
and there was so
much soot, ash, debris
589
00:29:28,375 --> 00:29:31,750
launched into the atmosphere
that it created a fog.
590
00:29:31,875 --> 00:29:35,000
A fog that
destroyed agriculture.
591
00:29:35,125 --> 00:29:38,375
A fog that ground
civilization to a halt.
592
00:29:39,917 --> 00:29:42,500
This event around 536
593
00:29:42,667 --> 00:29:44,500
has all the markings
594
00:29:44,625 --> 00:29:46,750
of a very large-scale eruption
595
00:29:46,875 --> 00:29:50,000
that had the ability to
change climate conditions
596
00:29:50,083 --> 00:29:52,042
all across the
Northern Hemisphere.
597
00:29:52,167 --> 00:29:55,917
It really does emphasize
just how big the effects
598
00:29:56,042 --> 00:29:59,208
of volcanoes are,
how widespread,
599
00:29:59,333 --> 00:30:03,167
and how damaging they
can be to human civilization.
600
00:30:03,292 --> 00:30:06,833
But if a volcano
caused the year of darkness,
601
00:30:06,917 --> 00:30:09,958
then which of the nearly
1,500 active volcanoes on Earth
602
00:30:10,042 --> 00:30:11,750
was the one that erupted?
603
00:30:11,875 --> 00:30:16,250
A team
working on the ice levels for 536
604
00:30:16,375 --> 00:30:18,667
from the Swiss-Italian
border, found microscopic
605
00:30:18,792 --> 00:30:21,667
morsels of volcanic particles
606
00:30:21,792 --> 00:30:23,375
that matches what
one would expect
607
00:30:23,542 --> 00:30:25,667
in a volcano in Iceland.
608
00:30:25,792 --> 00:30:28,625
And so, the top
suspect right now
609
00:30:28,750 --> 00:30:31,375
in the eruption
behind the 536 event
610
00:30:31,500 --> 00:30:35,167
is one of the many
volcanoes in Iceland.
611
00:30:35,250 --> 00:30:38,708
Scientists are
still working to definitively prove
612
00:30:38,875 --> 00:30:41,125
whether a volcanic
eruption in Iceland
613
00:30:41,250 --> 00:30:44,333
blocked the sun in 536 A.D.
614
00:30:44,458 --> 00:30:47,292
But perhaps the even
more pressing question is
615
00:30:47,375 --> 00:30:51,833
could the Earth ever be
blanketed in darkness again?
616
00:30:52,958 --> 00:30:55,167
Could this happen again?
617
00:30:55,333 --> 00:30:58,333
The answer is of course
it could happen again.
618
00:30:58,417 --> 00:31:01,333
It has happened once
in the last 2,000 years,
619
00:31:01,500 --> 00:31:04,500
it has perhaps happened
more frequently over a longer
620
00:31:04,625 --> 00:31:06,833
time span that we have
not yet been able to uncover.
621
00:31:06,917 --> 00:31:08,208
We need to be prepared.
622
00:31:09,875 --> 00:31:13,417
The 2010 eruption
of Eyjafjallaj�kull,
623
00:31:13,542 --> 00:31:14,833
the Icelandic volcano,
624
00:31:14,958 --> 00:31:17,792
actually disrupted
a lot of people's lives
625
00:31:17,875 --> 00:31:19,833
because volcanic particles
626
00:31:19,958 --> 00:31:21,833
were going up into
the atmosphere.
627
00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,458
And it shut down air travel
628
00:31:24,542 --> 00:31:26,333
because those particles
629
00:31:26,500 --> 00:31:29,542
will clog your jet engine and
cause major, major problems.
630
00:31:31,208 --> 00:31:35,042
This planet has a
beating heart. It has life.
631
00:31:35,208 --> 00:31:39,708
It is an ever-evolving,
ever-changing process
632
00:31:39,833 --> 00:31:41,792
every time a volcano erupts.
633
00:31:41,917 --> 00:31:44,875
And we are just
along for the ride.
634
00:31:47,792 --> 00:31:50,583
Given the fact that much of
Europe and the Middle East
635
00:31:50,708 --> 00:31:55,375
and Asia were shrouded in
darkness for an entire year,
636
00:31:55,500 --> 00:31:59,500
it's easy to see why
historians think that 536 A.D.
637
00:31:59,667 --> 00:32:02,458
was the worst year to
be alive in human history.
638
00:32:02,583 --> 00:32:05,000
But...
639
00:32:05,083 --> 00:32:08,333
the disasters that we face
today are no less dangerous.
640
00:32:08,500 --> 00:32:11,500
For instance, the
number of hurricanes
641
00:32:11,583 --> 00:32:15,667
that strike our coasts have
actually been increasing
642
00:32:15,750 --> 00:32:16,833
in recent years.
643
00:32:16,958 --> 00:32:19,167
And what's even more concerning
644
00:32:19,292 --> 00:32:21,583
is that they may also be getting
645
00:32:21,708 --> 00:32:28,750
bigger and more powerful.
646
00:32:28,875 --> 00:32:31,625
Galveston, Texas. 1900.
647
00:32:31,708 --> 00:32:35,042
At the turn of the
century, this bustling city,
648
00:32:35,167 --> 00:32:37,042
located along
the Gulf of Mexico,
649
00:32:37,167 --> 00:32:40,500
was one of America's
busiest ports.
650
00:32:42,458 --> 00:32:46,125
But that all changed
on September 8th, 1900,
651
00:32:46,250 --> 00:32:50,000
when a massive
hurricane hit Galveston
652
00:32:50,083 --> 00:32:54,333
and leveled
everything in its path.
653
00:32:54,417 --> 00:32:56,458
The great Galveston hurricane
654
00:32:56,583 --> 00:32:58,625
of September of 1900
655
00:32:58,750 --> 00:33:02,167
was the deadliest
hurricane in U.S. history,
656
00:33:02,333 --> 00:33:05,917
killing somewhere between
6,000 and 12,000 people.
657
00:33:06,042 --> 00:33:08,833
What did most of the destruction
658
00:33:08,958 --> 00:33:11,292
was the huge increase
659
00:33:11,417 --> 00:33:15,042
in the storm surge
of about 12 feet.
660
00:33:15,208 --> 00:33:17,833
The whole sea level
outside of Galveston,
661
00:33:17,958 --> 00:33:20,125
which is already
right at sea level,
662
00:33:20,250 --> 00:33:22,292
was suddenly 12 feet higher,
663
00:33:22,375 --> 00:33:26,792
totally inundating the
entire coastal area.
664
00:33:26,917 --> 00:33:28,500
This incredible storm surge
665
00:33:28,583 --> 00:33:30,292
raced across the island
666
00:33:30,417 --> 00:33:32,333
and killed about one in six
667
00:33:32,417 --> 00:33:35,250
of all the people who lived
on the island at the time.
668
00:33:35,375 --> 00:33:38,083
At the same time,
these incredible winds
669
00:33:38,208 --> 00:33:40,500
demolished the
properties themselves
670
00:33:40,625 --> 00:33:43,417
just by the force
of the wind power.
671
00:33:43,542 --> 00:33:46,917
3,600 buildings were destroyed
672
00:33:47,042 --> 00:33:48,750
by the Galveston hurricane,
673
00:33:48,875 --> 00:33:51,792
and 10,000 people
674
00:33:51,917 --> 00:33:54,000
were left homeless.
675
00:33:54,083 --> 00:33:57,583
This storm was so
enormous and caused such
676
00:33:57,708 --> 00:34:02,333
devastation that the majority
of the population had to flee.
677
00:34:02,417 --> 00:34:05,875
And it really affected
the town of Galveston.
678
00:34:06,042 --> 00:34:08,250
It became sort of known
679
00:34:08,375 --> 00:34:10,667
as a dangerous place to live.
680
00:34:10,792 --> 00:34:13,792
While the
destruction a hurricane can reap
681
00:34:13,875 --> 00:34:16,250
is impossible to control,
682
00:34:16,375 --> 00:34:18,208
over the past century,
683
00:34:18,375 --> 00:34:21,000
it's been advances
in space technology
684
00:34:21,125 --> 00:34:24,417
that have helped to create
long-range forecasting
685
00:34:24,542 --> 00:34:28,792
and to lower the human toll
these massive storms can take.
686
00:34:28,917 --> 00:34:34,292
The proliferation of networks
of satellites in space have totally
687
00:34:34,375 --> 00:34:36,833
changed how we view
the hazard of hurricanes.
688
00:34:36,917 --> 00:34:40,333
We're able to track hurricanes
689
00:34:40,500 --> 00:34:43,083
from when they initially begin,
690
00:34:43,208 --> 00:34:45,208
and we can even
predict the exact time
691
00:34:45,375 --> 00:34:47,625
and location of landfall.
692
00:34:49,625 --> 00:34:52,500
But in spite of
our technological advances,
693
00:34:52,667 --> 00:34:55,292
we're still very
much at the mercy
694
00:34:55,375 --> 00:34:58,333
of the powerful
forces of nature,
695
00:34:58,458 --> 00:35:00,625
as some of the worst hurricanes
696
00:35:00,708 --> 00:35:04,917
in history have taken place
in the last two decades.
697
00:35:05,042 --> 00:35:08,833
For Hurricane
Katrina, in the year 2005,
698
00:35:08,958 --> 00:35:13,167
about $125 billion worth
699
00:35:13,292 --> 00:35:15,958
of damage occurred,
and it's quite likely
700
00:35:16,042 --> 00:35:18,458
that future hurricanes
will do the same.
701
00:35:18,583 --> 00:35:21,875
Buildings are going
to be destroyed.
702
00:35:22,042 --> 00:35:24,708
Coastlines will be eroded.
703
00:35:24,875 --> 00:35:27,167
The damage from these hurricanes
704
00:35:27,292 --> 00:35:30,000
is enormous and
will continue to be.
705
00:35:30,167 --> 00:35:31,833
Hurricane Harvey
706
00:35:31,958 --> 00:35:35,625
in Houston in 2017 created
such massive flooding
707
00:35:35,708 --> 00:35:37,708
it was what they
call a millennial flood.
708
00:35:37,875 --> 00:35:40,333
A flood that big is only
supposed to happen
709
00:35:40,458 --> 00:35:42,250
once every thousand years or so.
710
00:35:42,375 --> 00:35:45,333
But Hurricane Harvey is becoming
711
00:35:45,417 --> 00:35:47,458
more of a trend
that we're seeing
712
00:35:47,542 --> 00:35:49,042
in terms of the
magnitude of these
713
00:35:49,167 --> 00:35:51,583
megastorms,
unfortunately, in the U.S.
714
00:35:51,708 --> 00:35:55,083
Is there anything
more we can do to protect coastal
715
00:35:55,208 --> 00:35:58,250
communities against
destructive hurricanes?
716
00:35:58,375 --> 00:36:02,167
Well, many experts feel that
the best way for us to study
717
00:36:02,292 --> 00:36:03,792
and understand hurricanes,
718
00:36:03,875 --> 00:36:06,250
in order to help prevent
further loss of life,
719
00:36:06,375 --> 00:36:10,125
is by flying directly
into the eye of these
720
00:36:10,250 --> 00:36:12,167
powerful storms.
721
00:36:12,333 --> 00:36:14,458
Going out to fly Irma today.
722
00:36:14,542 --> 00:36:18,417
The National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration
723
00:36:18,542 --> 00:36:20,167
has formed a team
of scientists known as
724
00:36:20,292 --> 00:36:22,083
the Hurricane Hunters
725
00:36:22,208 --> 00:36:23,792
who pilot aircraft fitted
726
00:36:23,917 --> 00:36:25,167
with sophisticated sensors
727
00:36:25,250 --> 00:36:27,458
into hurricanes.
728
00:36:27,542 --> 00:36:29,393
We like to say that in a
hurricane, we're sort of
729
00:36:29,417 --> 00:36:31,000
the first line of defense
730
00:36:31,083 --> 00:36:31,958
because the first
thing you need to know
731
00:36:32,042 --> 00:36:34,000
is the state of the storm.
732
00:36:34,125 --> 00:36:36,125
How strong is it?
Where is it going?
733
00:36:36,250 --> 00:36:38,292
What kind of
hazards does it pose?
734
00:36:38,417 --> 00:36:40,708
We know how important
the measurements are.
735
00:36:40,833 --> 00:36:43,667
And the measurements
we need from a hurricane
736
00:36:43,792 --> 00:36:47,333
we can only get by
actually putting the aircraft
737
00:36:47,417 --> 00:36:49,250
within the storm.
738
00:36:49,375 --> 00:36:51,750
While
gathering this critical data,
739
00:36:51,875 --> 00:36:54,417
Hurricane Hunter pilots
witness nature's fury
740
00:36:54,542 --> 00:36:58,000
in a way that few
people ever have.
741
00:36:58,083 --> 00:37:00,417
Sometimes I do stop myself
742
00:37:00,542 --> 00:37:02,667
just for a second,
just to sort of take it in
743
00:37:02,792 --> 00:37:06,500
and appreciate the
scale of it and just
744
00:37:06,667 --> 00:37:09,000
how powerful these storms are.
745
00:37:09,083 --> 00:37:11,667
It's chaos and it's loud,
746
00:37:11,833 --> 00:37:14,000
and it's always
remarkable how loud.
747
00:37:14,125 --> 00:37:15,893
Then, all of a sudden, you
get through that eye wall,
748
00:37:15,917 --> 00:37:17,167
and then, bang,
749
00:37:17,292 --> 00:37:20,292
it just gets calm,
and it's quiet,
750
00:37:20,417 --> 00:37:23,333
typically, in that
eye of the storm.
751
00:37:23,458 --> 00:37:26,292
Sometimes they can just
be absolutely breathtaking,
752
00:37:26,417 --> 00:37:29,500
to see this clear
eye of the hurricane.
753
00:37:30,458 --> 00:37:34,042
Our ultimate goal is when
we see people respond
754
00:37:34,167 --> 00:37:35,833
to the information that led to
755
00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:38,167
the right decisions being made
756
00:37:38,250 --> 00:37:40,375
on the ground to evacuate
757
00:37:40,500 --> 00:37:42,000
and to get out of harm's way.
758
00:37:42,167 --> 00:37:43,917
And that's what motivates us
759
00:37:44,042 --> 00:37:47,708
to go fly in these chaotic,
turbulent hurricanes.
760
00:37:49,625 --> 00:37:52,167
For people who live
in coastal communities,
761
00:37:52,333 --> 00:37:55,250
enduring the destructive
power of hurricanes
762
00:37:55,375 --> 00:37:58,500
is simply an
unfortunate fact of life.
763
00:37:58,667 --> 00:38:01,458
And that's especially
true in regions of the planet
764
00:38:01,583 --> 00:38:04,333
that are rocked by
cataclysms so often,
765
00:38:04,500 --> 00:38:06,583
it seems like they can
strike at any moment.
766
00:38:06,708 --> 00:38:10,708
These areas are referred to
767
00:38:10,875 --> 00:38:16,958
as disaster hot spots.
768
00:38:17,042 --> 00:38:19,833
In the Pacific
Ocean there is a narrow region
769
00:38:19,958 --> 00:38:23,000
that runs from Australia
770
00:38:23,083 --> 00:38:25,708
up the coast of Asia
771
00:38:25,875 --> 00:38:28,083
over to North America
772
00:38:28,208 --> 00:38:31,667
and down the coast
of South America.
773
00:38:31,792 --> 00:38:34,667
This horseshoe-shaped
area is known for having
774
00:38:34,792 --> 00:38:38,417
some of the worst natural
disasters in the world.
775
00:38:38,542 --> 00:38:42,917
So much so that
scientists refer to it as
776
00:38:43,042 --> 00:38:46,417
the Ring of Fire.
777
00:38:46,542 --> 00:38:49,292
The Ring of Fire is an
active plate boundary
778
00:38:49,417 --> 00:38:52,458
where two plates of
the Earth's crust meet,
779
00:38:52,583 --> 00:38:55,375
and that's where you have
incredible, uh, earthquakes
780
00:38:55,500 --> 00:38:57,917
and volcanic eruptions.
781
00:38:58,042 --> 00:39:01,375
These places become
what I would call hot spots
782
00:39:01,500 --> 00:39:05,083
for future catastrophe.
783
00:39:05,208 --> 00:39:06,500
There's a lot of activity
784
00:39:06,667 --> 00:39:08,500
happening there,
and it's on a scale
785
00:39:08,625 --> 00:39:11,458
that shrugs off humans like
786
00:39:11,583 --> 00:39:13,833
we were bacteria on the
surface of someone's skin.
787
00:39:13,917 --> 00:39:15,917
The Ring of Fire
788
00:39:16,042 --> 00:39:18,208
is the most famous
geologically active area
789
00:39:18,333 --> 00:39:20,083
in the world.
790
00:39:20,208 --> 00:39:24,375
And people live in these areas
where we have so many disasters.
791
00:39:24,542 --> 00:39:28,000
These are very real
ongoing hazards,
792
00:39:28,083 --> 00:39:31,875
just by virtue of where
these cities are located,
793
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:35,625
so it really tests
people's resilience.
794
00:39:37,792 --> 00:39:40,208
The Ring of Fire is the site
795
00:39:40,333 --> 00:39:43,250
of 75% of the world's volcanoes
796
00:39:43,375 --> 00:39:45,500
and 90% of its earthquakes,
797
00:39:45,625 --> 00:39:48,083
so it's no wonder
that experts refer to it
798
00:39:48,208 --> 00:39:51,792
as a natural disaster hot spot.
799
00:39:52,583 --> 00:39:55,167
But that's not the only place
800
00:39:55,292 --> 00:39:58,583
where humans are overpowered
801
00:39:58,708 --> 00:40:00,917
by the force of
our living planet.
802
00:40:02,208 --> 00:40:05,625
Some of the largest hot
spots for natural disasters
803
00:40:05,750 --> 00:40:08,542
are in the western side
of the Atlantic Ocean.
804
00:40:09,833 --> 00:40:12,000
This is the Dominican Republic,
805
00:40:12,125 --> 00:40:15,458
Antigua and Barbuda.
806
00:40:15,583 --> 00:40:19,500
These also are
all volcanic islands,
807
00:40:19,667 --> 00:40:22,667
they all are at plate boundaries
subject to earthquakes
808
00:40:22,833 --> 00:40:25,167
and they are all in the paths
809
00:40:25,250 --> 00:40:27,250
of many large
810
00:40:27,375 --> 00:40:29,000
tropical hurricanes that cause
811
00:40:29,125 --> 00:40:30,583
massive flooding.
812
00:40:30,708 --> 00:40:34,458
There's almost nothing
we can do to prevent that.
813
00:40:34,542 --> 00:40:36,833
However, what we can do
814
00:40:36,917 --> 00:40:40,208
is evacuate regions and
prevent the loss of life.
815
00:40:40,333 --> 00:40:42,333
We see thousands
816
00:40:42,500 --> 00:40:44,250
and thousands of
people evacuated
817
00:40:44,375 --> 00:40:46,083
from all over the globe.
818
00:40:46,208 --> 00:40:47,667
That's the best we've got.
819
00:40:47,833 --> 00:40:50,708
We're never going to stop
people from living in hot spots.
820
00:40:50,833 --> 00:40:53,417
We are never going to
keep people completely safe.
821
00:40:53,542 --> 00:40:56,875
And it's because these disasters
822
00:40:57,042 --> 00:41:00,000
are just part of the
true power of nature.
823
00:41:00,083 --> 00:41:03,583
When we think
of potential catastrophes,
824
00:41:03,708 --> 00:41:07,208
what should be our attitude?
825
00:41:07,375 --> 00:41:09,708
Our attitude should be humble.
826
00:41:10,917 --> 00:41:12,792
You know, we
think we're the ones
827
00:41:12,917 --> 00:41:15,667
that control the
destiny of the planet,
828
00:41:15,833 --> 00:41:18,500
but you realize that,
sometimes, the planet
829
00:41:18,667 --> 00:41:22,042
goes in a direction that
we don't necessarily want.
830
00:41:23,083 --> 00:41:26,792
We have to be humble because
we don't know when the next
831
00:41:26,917 --> 00:41:29,000
big ones are gonna take place.
832
00:41:31,542 --> 00:41:33,542
If history has
taught us anything,
833
00:41:33,708 --> 00:41:35,833
it's that humanity
is often powerless
834
00:41:35,917 --> 00:41:39,000
when faced with the
wrath of Mother Nature.
835
00:41:39,125 --> 00:41:40,805
And what's concerning
is that we don't know
836
00:41:40,833 --> 00:41:42,917
exactly when or
where the next fire
837
00:41:43,042 --> 00:41:45,167
or earthquake
or tsunami will strike.
838
00:41:45,292 --> 00:41:50,292
No matter how much time and
effort we spend trying to study,
839
00:41:50,417 --> 00:41:54,292
predict, and guard ourselves
against natural disasters,
840
00:41:54,417 --> 00:41:57,750
the full extent
of planet Earth's power
841
00:41:57,875 --> 00:42:02,417
will remain unexplained.
842
00:42:02,467 --> 00:42:07,017
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