Secondary Catalogue

This programme is about seawater. It is the most important liquid on Earth, not only from its sheer volume, but also because it has remarkable qualities. A few of them, like buoyancy, are common to all liquids - but seawater is also the cradle of life. Three key factors of water underpin life in the sea: water’s dissolving power, its tendency to keep a stable temperature, and its transparency to light. This programme explains the mechanisms and the outcomes of these key facts—and other things—that make seawater both weird and wonderful. Show Less

"Land and Ocean" examines who the world's land masses and oceans affect global climate patterns. We look at why the air gets colder and colder the higher you go, why coastal regions don't heat up or cool down as much as inland regions, why winters are colder in the northern hemisphere, and a whole lot more Show Less

In this episode, we describe how tropical cyclones form and examine their huge power. We explain what the Coriolis effect is and how it make tropical cyclones rotate the way that they do. We also travel to three continents to demonstrate how Coriolis effect affects water draining from a small container. Does water really swirl in a different direction depending on which hemisphere it is in? Show Less

"Following the Sun" looks at how the sun's movement across the sky every day changes. In summer, the sun reaches a much higher angle in the sky than it does in winter. This affects the design of energy-efficient homes and the placement of solar panels. Show Less

Of all the man-made satellites in Low Earth Orbit, 95% are space junk: rocket thrusters, derelict satellites, and most of all, tiny fragments of debris from collisions and explosions. All this debris poses a potential threat to the future of space travel if we don't find a way to clean it up before it's too late. Kessler Syndrome, the threat of cascading orbital debris fallout, is an environmental crisis that's almost completely invisible to us, but which may carry dire consequences for our infrastructure and the future of spaceflight if left unchecked. Show Less

The Moon. We see it almost every night in the sky – but how much do we know about it? And why does it constantly change appearance? This incredible Miniclip animates all the phases of the Moon, including waxing, waning, full Moon, and new Moon, as well as gibbous, quarter, and crescent. Students will also discover that the Moon reflects light instead of generating it, and that it orbits around Earth as our only natural satellite! Show Less

The water that we drink today is the same water that the dinosaurs swam in and that people of ancient civilisations drank – and it’s all because of the wonderful water cycle! This Miniclip illustrates the stages involved in the water cycle, how they are reflected in the states of matter, and how we see each phase occurring in our everyday lives. Students will learn about evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, as well as the renewable nature of this natural resource. Show Less

The series of changes that occur in an area having no soil and living organisms is called primary succession. Species like mosses and lichens, the pioneer species, are the first to populate an area. When these organisms die, they form a thin layer of soil and enrich it with nutrients. Then, the plant seeds start growing on the newly - formed soil. Show Less

The Earth gets all its energy from the Sun. The amount of energy the Earth receives from the Sun is balanced by the amount it loses to space. An increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases affects the Sun - Earth energy balance and causes global warming. Show Less