

What on Earth?
2015 · Science · 60 min · 12 seasons
S12E10 · Arctic Hunters of Norway
Fri, 17 Mar, 12:00 pm
Aerial archaeologists capture a series of mysterious dots buried beneath the remote, frozen landscape of Finnmark, Norway. Experts investigate and reveal revolutionary reindeer hunting techniques using trapping pits developed by the Sámi, the oldest surviving indigenous Norwegian tribe.
About
What on Earth? is a documentary series using satellite images of strange geological occurrences and man-made structures on Earth to examine such matters as the planet's extreme locations, phenomena and species.
Episodes
- E01
Bullseye in the Sky
Fri, 13 Jan· 60 minSatellite images capture a bizarre pattern of enormous circular clouds obscuring the Spanish island of La Palma in the eastern Atlantic. Experts investigate the 2021 Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption and uncover evidence of an unfolding natural disaster that could potentially threaten millions of lives.
- E02
Mystery of the Fallen Star
Fri, 20 Jan· 60 minAerial archaeologists use laser imaging to capture a distinct star-shaped pattern carved into the marsh of a Florida swamp; experts investigate and reveal a lost Civil War fort linked to an extraordinary community with a tragic past.
- E03
Indiana's War Factory
Fri, 27 Jan· 60 minSatellite images capture a large compound of abandoned structures overgrown with vegetation in Clark County, Indiana. Experts investigate and uncover the Indiana Ordnance Works, a derelict WWII munitions factory that played a crucial role in US military history, producing smokeless gunpowder. In 1964, its name changed to the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant.
- E04
Turkey's Lost Terror Dome
Fri, 3 Feb· 60 minAerial drone imaging captures a circular man-made structure that appears to be centuries-old in the remote forests of Aydin Province in western Turkey. Experts investigate a lost ancient Roman amphitheater with a history steeped in gladiatorial bloodshed.
- E05
Blood Feud of Gresham Castle
Fri, 10 Feb· 60 minSatellite images capture a mysterious fortification concealed beneath a patch of woodland in the remote stretches of Norfolk, England. Experts investigate rival royal families and Gresham Castle, a lost castle destroyed during a medieval blood feud.
- E06
The Boneyard of Arizona
Fri, 17 Feb· 60 minSatellite images capture miles of rusting military aircraft precisely arranged in the vast Arizona desert, over 4000. Experts investigate Earth's largest aircraft storage facility and the rotting remains of a defining moment in Cold War history. U.S. Intelligence vastly overestimated the long-range nuclear bomber fleet of the Soviet Union in the 1950s. The U.S. deployed a line of ZPG-3W Airships along the Atlantic for two years for early warning of a Soviet attack. 750 B-52 Stratofortresses eventually were made. Some of these airships are in the boneyard along with 360 B-52s per the 1971 START 1 nuclear treaty.
- E07
Nevada's Mystery Marking
Fri, 24 Feb· 60 minSatellite images capture an enormous X shape mysteriously carved with precision in the remote Nevada desert. Experts investigate a military emergency landing field linked to one of aviation history's most astonishing test programs, the X-15. It flew over six times the speed of sound and at altitudes over 62 miles high.
- E08
Ghost Ship of Ireland
Fri, 3 Mar· 60 minA ghost ship appears overnight on the shores of Ireland after a powerful Atlantic cyclone named Storm Dennis in February 2020. The MV Alta was abandoned at sea in October 2018, southeast of the Bermuda Triangle. Could it help shed light on the fate of vessels claimed by the most notorious patch of ocean on Earth? Could its 17-month drift help scientists better understand complex ocean currents?
- E09
Secrets of Biosphere 2
Fri, 10 Mar· 60 minSatellite images capture a mysterious group of pyramid-shaped structures in Arizona's arid, desert landscape. Experts investigate Biosphere 2, a highly controversial research facility designed to prepare humanity for life on another world.
- E10
Arctic Hunters of Norway
Fri, 17 Mar· 60 minAerial archaeologists capture a series of mysterious dots buried beneath the remote, frozen landscape of Finnmark, Norway. Experts investigate and reveal revolutionary reindeer hunting techniques using trapping pits developed by the Sámi, the oldest surviving indigenous Norwegian tribe.
Cast

Steven Kearney
Narrator









