Earth from Space (2019) s01e02 Episode Script

1
From high in space,
we can see the familiar shapes
of countries
..and continents.
But now, satellite images
allow us to look closer
..revealing our planet
as a patchwork
of extraordinary landscapes
..created by natural forces
..by animals
..and by us.
These patterns give an insight
into the health of our planet.
Behind every line and every
pattern
..there's a story.
Around the world
..tropical coastlines are fringed
with coral reefs.
At first glance,
their shapes seem random.
But a closer look reveals a
pattern
..pale discs surrounding
patches of dark coral.
Using satellite images,
scientists have now found these
shapes
on coral reefs across the globe.
Understanding how they are formed
offers a new insight
into the health of our oceans
..and the animals that call them
home.
For fish that live on coral reefs,
there are different strategies
for finding food.
Some stay close to the reef
..feeding from the coral itself.
Others venture out
to the surrounding seabed.
But feeding in the open
..can be dangerous.
Predators, like coral groupers
..and sharks,
patrol the reef perimeter.
So small fish only feed
as far from the coral
as is absolutely necessary
..staying within easy reach
of safety.
Over time, the seabed around each
patch of coral is stripped
of food
..creating rings of bare sand
that scientists call grazing halos.
They are a sign that both predator
and prey populations are healthy.
But where this pattern disappears,
it may be a sign
that predator numbers are falling.
These halos now allow scientists
to monitor the reefs'
delicate balance from space.
Satellite cameras can now look down
on every part of our planet
..allowing us to explore
Earth's most remote habitats.
The Congo jungle in central Africa.
This forest is home
to thousands of animal species.
But from space, it appears as
little more than a blanket of
green
..except, that is, if we look down
over one remote corner.
Satellite images reveal
a strange shape
..with dozens of trails leading in
from the surrounding forest.
This shape was created
by the Congo's mightiest residents.
They spend most of their lives
hidden in the thick jungle
..but travel hundreds of kilometres
to gather here.
Forest elephants.
ELEPHANTS TRUMPE
Locals call this place Dzanga Bai
..the Village of Elephants.
Forest elephants spend most of
their lives in small family groups.
But here, up to 150 individuals
are drawn together every day.
Their diet of tough leaves
and jungle fruit is lacking
in vital minerals.
So generations of elephants have
come to this one spot in the
forest
..where deposits of sodium,
potassium and calcium
lie just below the surface.
Using their tusks to dig at the soil
and their trunks to blow
into the water
..these elephants have excavated
a network of boreholes
..allowing them to extract these
minerals from under ground.
Over hundreds of years,
the constant digging
and movement of elephants
has caused this clearing to grow.
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
It's now more than 500 metres
long
..and clearly visible from space.
For a young forest elephant,
a first visit to the Bai
is full of new experiences.
While the adults drink
effortlessly
..she's still getting to grips
with her trunk.
Infants are raised by their mothers
for up to four years
..and learning how to drink
from these wells
is one of life's vital lessons.
For a calf who spends most of
her time with her mother
..this is a rare opportunity
to socialise.
Relationships formed at this young
age can last a lifetime.
But while they play
..mothers must keep a close watch.
DEEP TRUMPETING
Male forest elephants are also
drawn here.
This gathering is the ideal place
to find a fertile female.
To display their size
and strength
..bull elephants
charge around the clearing.
And if more than one male appears
..tensions run high.
Young forest elephants have been
killed here by charging males.
TRUMPETING
Mother retreats
to the safety of the forest.
Her baby should be able to return
to this clearing
throughout its lifetime.
But these elephants
face an uncertain future.
In the last 20 years,
more than half of all the forest
elephants in the world
have been killed by poachers
for their ivory.
But cameras in space
may be able to help.
Scientists can now use
satellite images
to identify other clearings
used by forest elephants
..protecting them from poachers
..and preserving these
unique gatherings.
But you don't need to be
as big as an elephant
to make a mark visible from space.
In South Australia,
the outback is speckled
with mysterious light patches
..interlinked with narrow trails
..the work of an unlikely architect.
He's a southern hairy-nosed
wombat
..a marsupial only found
in this part of Australia.
Exposing the thinner fur
of his belly
helps to keep him cool as he waits
for the midday heat to pass.
Then there's work to be done.
It's springtime,
and with each passing day
temperatures are steadily rising.
In just a few weeks,
it could be close to
50 degrees Celsius.
Wrapped in a thick fur coat,
this heat could be deadly.
But the wombat has a solution.
With sharp claws
and short, powerful limbs,
he's built for digging.
It's 15 degrees cooler
below ground
..a hiding place from
the worst of the summer sun.
But high temperatures aren't
the only threat wombats face.
Habitat loss and the impact
of invasive species
caused wombat numbers to plummet
in the early 20th century.
But now, using satellite images
to locate their burrows
..scientists can see
they're bouncing back
..with around one million
southern hairy-nosed wombats
now living in this corner
of Australia.
In South America,
vast areas are covered with
lush, green tropical forest.
But on the coast
of north-east Brazil,
the forest is interrupted
by a very different landscape.
Vegetation is being
swallowed up by sand.
Washed up by the ocean and blown
inland over thousands of years
..a field of sand dunes covering
more than 800 square kilometres.
The Lencois Maranhenses.
The surface of the scorched sand
can reach 80 degrees Celsius.
To survive here you have to
be made of tough stuff.
A Pininga turtle.
She's left the surrounding
forest behind
..and is making her way
into the heart of this desert
..walking for days
beneath the burning sun
..each step on the soft sand
sapping away her precious energy.
Without food and water,
she won't survive for long.
But she's made this journey
for a reason.
THUNDER RUMBLES
It's the wet season.
And in these dunes,
the rain changes everything.
Only from space can we see
the scale of the transformation.
Once a year, rainwater
floods the desert
..forming thousands
of freshwater lagoons.
Beneath the sand, a layer of solid
rock stops rainwater escaping
..creating a landscape
like nowhere else on Earth.
And that's just what she came for.
As the lagoons grow,
fish make their way into the pools
from surrounding rivers.
They'll keep her fed for weeks.
But this water won't last forever.
In the tropical sun, these lagoons
will soon evaporate.
Dozens of desert species now race
to make the most of
the life-giving water
..even after the sun has set.
A tiny four-eyed frog.
He's been lying dormant
in the cool sand.
But the rains have triggered
the breeding season.
And there are thousands
just like him.
In other parts of the world,
frogs migrate for kilometres
to reach their breeding pools.
But here, the water
has come to them.
Around the lagoons,
grasses have sprung up,
creating sheltered spots
for breeding.
And it's not only four-eyed frogs
who come here.
Seven different species of frogs
and toads
are all hoping to breed.
CROAKS
ANIMALS AND BIRDS CALL
It's a struggle to make yourself
heard above the noise.
Eventually, the four-eyed frogs
find each other.
Each pair may produce
more than a thousand eggs
..an explosion of new life.
And just in time.
When the rains ease,
the lagoons begin to disappear
..and sand reclaims
this corner of Brazil.
Around the world,
the forces of nature
create mysterious
and intriguing patterns
visible only from space.
Star-like shapes
in the Sahara desert
are sand dunes whipped up
by the wind.
In West Africa, a ring
of concentric circles
..formed by magma forcing its
way through the Earth's crust.
And in Iran's salt desert,
these abstract swirls are the
remains of an ancient ocean
..sculpted by the wind
over millions of years.
In the Amazon rainforest, hundreds
of rivers wind through the jungle.
Alongside them
..are strange arcs
and horseshoe shapes.
Satellite images taken over 30 years
reveal how these patterns
are formed.
As the water forges a path
through the jungle
..bends in the river are cut off
and left behind
..creating isolated oxbow lakes
..like El Dorado Lake
in northern Peru.
A special place for wildlife
and for local people.
CHILD CHATTERS
Elvira is nine years old.
She and her friends
live in a small village
close to the oxbow lake.
They're fascinated by animals
..and their favourite
is perhaps the most elusive
..the Amazonian manatee.
Manatees spend their lives hidden
in the murky water of
jungle rivers
..surfacing only briefly
to take a breath
or to feed on floating plants.
In many parts of the Amazon,
manatees are hunted for their meat,
and their numbers are declining.
Elvira has never laid eyes
on a manatee.
ELVIRA: Vamos, chicas!
But that's all about to change.
The oxbow lake has
all the benefits of a river
..but its isolated waters
are still and safe
..perfect for manatees
in need of a second chance.
TRANSLATION:
For Elvira, it's an opportunity
to finally come face-to-face
with her favourite animal.
This manatee is one of a lucky few.
They were rescued from illegal
captivity and rehabilitated
by an international team of experts.
They're now fit and well enough
to be released.
Radio tags will allow their progress
to be monitored
..as they start their new life
in the safety of the oxbow lake.
The twists and turns
that lead to oxbow lakes
are typical of slow jungle rivers
meandering over flat ground.
But across the globe, each river
has its own unique character.
In Egypt, the River Nile
brings life to the desert
..creating a ribbon of green.
At the base of the Himalayas,
the Brahmaputra River pulls in water
from hundreds of streams
pouring out of the mountains
..creating a complex channel
10km wide.
In the USA, the movement
of Utah's Green River
has carved out deep canyons
over millions of years.
In eastern China
..five major rivers converge
..to form a body of
fresh water so huge
that the only way to see it
in its entirety is from space.
Poyang Lake.
This is no ordinary lake.
Each year, when the dry season
arrives
..it begins to shrink.
Within three months,
it almost totally disappears
..leaving behind huge areas
of nutrient-rich mud
..and hundreds of
shallow freshwater pools.
This transformation is the cue
for one of the greatest migrations
on our planet.
Half a million birds flock here
from all across Asia.
But none have travelled further
than the critically endangered
Siberian cranes.
This is the end of a month-long
journey from northern Russia,
almost 5,000 kilometres away.
They've come for
a unique feeding opportunity.
BIRDS CALL
The falling water has revealed
the nutritious roots
of aquatic plants.
The cranes gorge themselves
after their long journey.
And they aren't interested
in sharing.
Among the many families
are two parents with their
five-month-old offspring.
He's successfully completed
his first migration.
But 5,000 kilometres
was a long way to fly
on young wings.
He begs for food.
But his mother
..ignores him.
It's every bird for themself.
And from space,
it's clear to see why.
As the dry season progresses,
the pools shrink
..increasing competition
for the best feeding spots.
BIRDS CALL
A rival has strayed
onto the family's patch.
This cannot go unchallenged.
Father squares up to the intruder.
Neither is willing to back down.
Their claws are razor-sharp.
15-centimetre-long beaks
become weapons.
The intruder
..is seen off.
But the youngster still hasn't
been able to get a meal.
There's only one thing for it.
He finally works out
how to feed for himself.
The whole family can now fuel up
for the return journey
to Siberia.
After four months, the rivers that
flow into Poyang begin to rise
again
..and the cranes start
the long flight home.
An epic journey
..triggered by a remarkable
transformation.
The coming and going of water
makes for some of the most beautiful
landscapes on Earth.
Rivers arriving at the coast
deposit vast quantities
of sediment
..creating deltas that reach out
into the ocean.
In northern Russia,
the Lena River forks into
thousands of separate channels.
And in the Gulf of Mexico,
the Mississippi River Delta
spans 10,000 square kilometres.
But the largest delta in the world
lies in the Bay of Bengal.
This maze of waterways
is the Sundarbans.
Twice a day, it's transformed
by the tide
..blue
..to brown
..as the tide falls,
exposing the mud below.
Silt from river water is
trapped by mangrove roots
..creating a habitat like no other.
A home for timid chital deer
..troops of macaques
..elusive Bengal tigers
..and over three million
..people.
Bhoben and his son Hridoy live
in the north of the Sundarbans.
Bhoben is a fisherman.
He's teaching his son
the family trade.
But they won't be fishing
with lines or poles.
Instead, they'll be using
ten smooth-coated otters.
The people here have been fishing
together with otters
since the sixth century.
Wild otter populations
are declining in the Sundarbans.
This specially bred captive
population could be crucial
for the survival of the species.
And they're extremely precious
to their owners.
TRANSLATION:
But they can only fish
at very precise times of the day.
They have to wait for the tide.
While it's high,
thousands of tiny inlets
crisscross through the mangrove
forest.
Water dominates the landscape,
giving fish plenty
of places to hide.
But from space,
we can watch the tide turn.
Water is replaced with mud.
And at the very lowest tide,
fish are forced into the few
remaining stretches of water.
And the otters get to work.
Their sensitive whiskers
detect the movement of fish
..and they flush them
towards the nets.
Young otters swim freely.
They're supposed to be
learning from the adults,
but it's easy to get distracted.
The otters bring in up to twice
as many fish as using nets alone.
And they take their cut.
Ten otters can eat
eight kilos of fish every day.
But it's getting harder
for fishermen here to make a living.
Large-scale fishing
and pollution from growing industry
are decimating the fish stocks
in the Sundarbans.
From over 200,
this is now just one of eight boats
keeping this ancient skill alive.
The tide turns,
and the fishermen
follow the water home.
Humans have always found
ways to survive
alongside our planet's
natural landscapes.
But around 10,000 years ago,
we began to create patterns
of our very own.
Alongside nature's chaotic curves,
more ordered shapes appeared
..designed with great precision
..to help us feed ourselves.
At first, farming could
only take place
alongside natural water sources.
But now, even in the driest desert,
crops are being grown.
And one shape has come to dominate.
By using rotating sprinklers,
farmers can water a circular field
more easily than any other shape.
In the American Midwest,
these irrigation circles
stretch for hundreds of kilometres.
Intensive farming like this
can force out wildlife.
But no matter how tightly
circles are packed together
..there'll always be gaps
left between them.
In Missouri, farmers are encouraged
to keep these spaces wild
..creating pockets of habitat
for animals
..like the bobwhite quail.
On the edge of this circle,
just enough space has been left
for quail to raise their chicks.
With hungry new mouths to feed,
families are always on the move
in search of food.
Young chicks are inquisitive -
keen to explore their new world.
But in the thick undergrowth,
parents can find it difficult
to keep an eye on all of them.
CHICK CHIRPS
And there are others here
looking for a meal.
Kestrels have their own young
to feed.
Mothers know the best thing to do
is hunker down and stay still.
But a lone chick's instinct
is to keep running.
She's inside the circle of crops.
An alien world.
Row upon row of soybeans
arranged in a circle
almost a kilometre wide.
There's nothing to eat
and, in the height of summer,
nothing to drink.
Dry conditions are bad
for the crops, too.
But here in Missouri,
they have a solution for that.
Millions of gallons of water
pumped from deep underground
..and piped along a rotating arm
300 metres long.
A life-saver for the crops
..but potentially deadly
for a quail chick.
Life beside industrial farming
comes with dangers.
But each small patch of wild habitat
can be an important oasis
for animals.
There are now 125,000
circular fields in the USA.
Who knows what dramas
may be unfolding
in the spaces left between them?
Human agriculture now covers
more than one third
of the Earth's land surface.
Add to that the space taken up
by our homes and our industries
and humanity's impact can now be
seen on more than half
of the planet's land.
For millions of years, natural
forces have shaped Earth's surface.
But now, it is undoubtedly us
who will decide
what our home will look like
in the future.
Next time
The view from space
reveals our blue planet
as a kaleidoscope
of incredible colours.
Vast turquoise swirls in the ocean
trigger the planet's
biggest feeding frenzy.
Billions of flowers turn
a Chinese landscape bright yellow.
And a lake in East Africa
is transformed
by the pink of thousands
of flamingos.
Each colour has its own remarkable
secrets to reveal.
The Open University has produced
a poster exploring Earth from space.
To order your free copy, call
..or go to
..and follow the links
to the Open University.