From Western Australia’s ancient zircon crystals to the active volcanoes of Vanuatu, Oceania preserves some of Earth’s deepest geological records. This documentary follows the tectonic forces that shaped the region’s islands, mountains, fault lines, mineral deposits, and ancient seas.
Across Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, and the Pacific Ring of Fire, scientists trace how plate tectonics helped expose 3.4-billion-year-old stromatolites, Ediacaran fossils, iron-rich landscapes, isolated marsupials, the Alpine Fault, and living volcanic systems. Oceania is not just a map of islands, it is a record of how Earth moved from ancient rocks to life.
Documentary: Voyage of the continents - Season 1, Episode 3: The Tectonic Ring Of Fire
Director: Christopher Hooke & Yanick Rose
Production: La compagnie des Taxi-Brousse, Ideacom International, ARTE France, CNRS Images & CRRAV (2012)
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