"This entertaining and educational film is a must-see for both students and educators in the earth sciences." Dr. Michael Zhdanov, Professor, Geology and Geophysics, The University of Utah

The film follows earth scientists as they work among the volcanoes of the Big Island Hawaii, pursuing clues and compiling evidence in a quest to shed light on the mysterious inner-Earth process that has been producing giant volcanoes in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for more than 75 million years.

Scientists have long been puzzled over the source of the huge quantities of lava erupting out of Hawaii's massive volcanoes. Does the lava come from just below the Earth's crust? Or does it come from much deeper, perhaps even as far down as the Earth's core, some 1,800 miles below the surface?

The film focuses on an international team of scientists who take on these key questions with a major drilling project into the flanks of Mauna Kea, Hawaii's tallest volcano.

After years of painstaking research, startling new discoveries are made. Not only have the scientists determined where the lava is coming from, but they have solved other long-standing mysteries about the workings of Hawaii's magnificent volcanoes.

This project was funded by the National Science Foundation Continental Dynamics and Informal Science Education Programs.



Grade Level: 7-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 2012     Copyright Date: 2011
DVD ISBN: 1-93777-203-9

Reviews "Hawaii: Root of Fire combines beautiful footage of Hawaiian landscapes with the impressive artistic reconstructions of the Earth's deep interior to tell the remarkable story of the geological mechanism that feeds the Hawaiian volcanoes. Hidden within Earth's mantle, there is a deep plume of hot and partly molten rock known as a hotspot. This is a fascinating geological phenomenon that has only recently attracted the attention of earth scientists. This entertaining and educational film is a must-see for both students and educators in the earth sciences." Dr. Michael Zhdanov, Professor, Geology and Geophysics, Director, Consortium for Electromagnetic Modeling and Inversion (CEMI), The University of Utah "Excellent presentation on the causes of volcanoes in Hawaii and the modern theory of mantle plumes. Interviews with prominent scientists are suitable for middle school students to the adult public." Dr. Norman Sleep, Professor of Geophysics, Stanford University, Author, Principles of Geophysics "The film provides a clear and compelling explanation of the research questions and the approaches used to address those questions, through a combination of concise narration, interviews with leading researchers, and excellent visual graphics. The outstanding footage of Hawaii and its eruptions add to the quality and engaging nature of the documentary. This film will be useful for a range of education and outreach efforts aimed at teens and adults." Dr. Greg Valentine, Professor of Geology, Director of the Center for Geohazards Studies, University at Buffalo "An extraordinary documentary...Hawaii: Roots of Fire is as educational as it is fascinating. Highly recommended especially for public and school library collections." The Midwest Book Review "Recommended...wonderful footage...The animation sequences built around the explanations and the scientific evidence are astounding. Sure to please the viewer, a lot of information is packed into the 27 minutes of this film. I highly recommend this DVD for jr. high audiences and above science classes--great to watch and fun too!" Brad Eden, Valparaiso University, Educational Media Reviews Online