The History Channel

It is not only a place of natural splendor but a geologic treasure trove as well. Hidden in the sediments of the rocks in its walls is evidence of the coldest time on our planet--ironic in one of the hottest places on Earth. Death Valley is literally being pulled apart and the floor is collapsing and lower than sea level. Here and across much of Nevada is the Basin and Range province--a series of ridges of mountain ranges that are being pulled apart and the basins between them getting wider and flat as they fill with eroded sediment.

Gold dates from the time of the supernova explosion that gave birth to the building blocks of our solar system. When it was created, the Earth included a tiny percentage of gold atoms, and over the aeons geologic processes have concentrated it into various nooks and crannies around the globe. The best of it is in the ancient Precambrian rocks in South Africa, where the deepest mines in the world extract it. In other regions of the world, gold can be gathered from younger sedimentary rocks that have been eroded off older Precambrian rocks. The American gold rush was this type of deposit. Now in Nevada, sedimentary rocks are leached on a truly vast scale to extract the gold.

Why do we have ice ages and when is the next one due? Chart the progress of different ice ages through the history of our planet, from Snowball Earth hundreds of millions of years ago to the recent ice ages. As the Earth circles the sun, its orbit changes slightly and so does it angle of rotation. When the right wobble in our rotation combines with the right orbit, the Earth is, and will again be, plunged into an ice age--but maybe not for a few thousand years.

Over 20 years ago, Mt. St Helens--thought to be dormant--shocked America when it exploded. It is an acidic volcano--the magma beneath is full of volatiles making it highly explosive. A new plug has formed in its throat and is rising. When it blows it will be like uncorking a champagne bottle, releasing pressure below and allowing dissolved gases to escape and explode. The question is...when will it blow again?

Relive the breathtaking story of Apollo 11, the first manned landing on the Moon. Interlaced with original NASA footage transferred to high definition, this two-hour special puts viewers aboard the rocket and takes them on the eight-day round-trip to outer space. Life behind the scenes and edge-of-your-seat moments in space are dramatized in this film that stretches from the crew's earliest days at NASA to the moment when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped on the Moon. From home life and families, to the argument over who would be the first to walk on the lunar surface, this is the remarkable story of one of the most chronicled events in history.

Viewers will go where only the most elite insiders from the highest levels of the US government are allowed--on board Air Force One. Discover what makes this uniquely modified Boeing 747 faster, more secure, more comfortable and more capable than any other comparable plane. Take a 20,000-mile voyage through the heart of Africa and join the crew and privileged passengers on one of Air Force One's most challenging missions.

An inside look at the secret protocols, elite security and hidden history of the world's most public of private residences. What is the most secret room in the White House and what makes it so powerful? What secret visitors have been to the White House--invited or not? What kind of background checks are needed to work at the White House? What security measures go into effect if the White House is under attack? For over 200 years, the White House has functioned as a Presidential residence, Executive Office and national command center. But more guarded than the White House itself--are its secrets. Secrets that have remained untold...until now.

In this episode, a flaming tornado terrorizes a team of firefighters. A Hawaiian volcano wipes an island paradise off the map. And an avalanche of rocks and debris obliterate a village in Honduras.

Hurricane Sandy was one of the most devastating super storms to hit our shores, claiming over 160 lives and causing billions of dollars in damage. This special examines what happened when Sandy hit and how it happened. We also hunt for clues that could reveal if we are entering an age when bigger, more deadly storms will become a regular occurrence. Is it possible to tell when the next super storm will strike and ultimately will we be prepared?

Join us for the amazing story of one of nature's most terrifying forces. With striking visuals from ships in storm-tossed seas, the special presents dramatic tales of rogue wave disasters throughout history, and explores the astonishing scientific discoveries surrounding this deadly phenomenon. Aided by mind-blowing CGI footage from the motion picture Poseidon by Wolfgang Petersen, director of The Perfect Storm, we reveal the awesome power of this ocean menace as it really is--a monster rising from the deep!

Pablo Escobar was Colombia's king of cocaine, a man his own government was afraid to touch. But he also violated the dead, set fire to millions in cash to keep warm and actually helped the US hunt down Osama Bin Laden. Outspoken historian David Eisenbach probes the world of narcotrafficking and uncovers things you didn't know about Escobar.

September 14, 1944--the South Pacific. While clearing mines for the Allied invasion of the Palau Islands, the USS Perry is rocked by a huge explosion and immediately begins to list. All hands abandon ship into open waters, drawing enemy fire from shore. Two days later the Allied invasion begins and quickly becomes one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific Campaign--the Battle of Peleliu. Deep Sea Detectives John Chatterton and Richie Kohler follow one survivor's journey to find the USS Perry's final resting place...and try to bring closure to an unfinished journey of their own.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

The Tecumseh was an iron-hulled, single-turret monitor, similar in design to the famous USS Monitor. In August 1864, she was in the vanguard of a monitor flotilla that spearheaded the Federal attack on Mobile Bay. The Confederate defense centered on their shore batteries and the CSS Tennessee, a powerful ironclad ram. As Tecumseh tacked to engage the attacking Tennessee, she suddenly listed, as an explosion erupted beneath the hull. Tecumseh sank quickly with all crewmen. Conventional wisdom and navy records indicated a "torpedo"--an underwater mine--caused the explosion. Others believe this could have been the work of the shore-based artillery, while still others believe it was a Confederate submarine. Join our veteran divers as they try to solve the mystery.

Relive the breathtaking story of Apollo 11, the first manned landing on the Moon. Interlaced with original NASA footage transferred to high definition, this two-hour special puts viewers aboard the rocket and takes them on the eight-day round-trip to outer space. Life behind the scenes and edge-of-your-seat moments in space are dramatized in this film that stretches from the crew's earliest days at NASA to the moment when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped on the Moon. From home life and families, to the argument over who would be the first to walk on the lunar surface, this is the remarkable story of one of the most chronicled events in history.

Viewers will go where only the most elite insiders from the highest levels of the US government are allowed--on board Air Force One. Discover what makes this uniquely modified Boeing 747 faster, more secure, more comfortable and more capable than any other comparable plane. Take a 20,000-mile voyage through the heart of Africa and join the crew and privileged passengers on one of Air Force One's most challenging missions.

An inside look at the secret protocols, elite security and hidden history of the world's most public of private residences. What is the most secret room in the White House and what makes it so powerful? What secret visitors have been to the White House--invited or not? What kind of background checks are needed to work at the White House? What security measures go into effect if the White House is under attack? For over 200 years, the White House has functioned as a Presidential residence, Executive Office and national command center. But more guarded than the White House itself--are its secrets. Secrets that have remained untold...until now.