Educational Media Reviews Online

The documentary Impossible Planet: Mass Movements provides the viewers an insight into rare and interesting phenomena on the Earth. Part of a series called Impossible Planet, this segment has a run time of 48 minutes and spends approximately 15 minutes showcasing three distinct natural occurrences with inputs from researchers in geophysics and geology as well as rangers and tourists. First are Geysers which, as illustrated by the visuals, are aptly described as “blisters on the surface of the earth.” We focus on two main locations: 1) Iceland, in particular the Great Geyser with rare but powerful eruptions – the largest being 4000 feet, along with some other locations in Iceland with more frequent eruptions; and 2) Yellowstone National Park in the United States where the Old Faithful geyser erupts 17 times a day. Other locations with geysers are briefly mentioned including Chile, Russia, and New Zealand where thermophile bacteria impart different colors to the water and studying their survival in extremely high temperatures has various medical applications and could also be a pathway to finding life on other planets.

Next, we look at Pancake Rocks and Blowholes in Punakaiki along the west coast of New Zealand, which are a popular tourist attraction. Experts explain how the thin layers of limestone and mud create the lined structure resembling a stack of pancakes. Formed over thousands of years due to water and wind activity, these shapes also suffer extreme erosion because of strong waves thereby damaging the structures. The powerful waves become more real when we are shown blowholes. In particular, the famous Putai blowholes pump air and water with immense speed and are a fascinating sight to watch.

Finally, we move to the migration of Christmas Island Crabs across an island near the coast of Indonesia. These land crabs migrate to the coast for a few weeks every year to spawn. Thus each year, this “seething, swarming mass of action” brings the island to the standstill as we’re shown 40-50 million crabs leaving the forests after the first rain of the season towards the ocean where female crabs release the eggs to develop. Within 2-3 weeks of hatching the newborn crabs, barely 5 millimeters wide, join the group to migrate back to the forest across a variety of terrain. During this difficult journey which may take nearly nine days, the young crabs also have to avoid being eaten by the grown crabs.

While the documentary does not go deep into the scientific processes of the natural wonders, it is a good way to be introduced to some fascinating occurrences. The camera and audio effects are done fairly well and smoothly transition into the distinct sections. This is a recommended resource for K-12 audience as well as curious adults for understanding more about the Earth.