Up Next
Back to Show
Untold Earth
This Upside Down Cave Is a Microscopic Warzone
Season 1
Episode 9
Below the Chihuahuan Desert in southeastern New Mexico, lies an extensive system of limestone caves, among them the famed Carlsbad Cavern, home to one of North America's largest underground chambers. But there is more to this subterranean world than gigantic geological formations. It is also ground zero for a microbial war that’s been raging for thousands of years, right beneath our feet.
Support Provided By
7:11
How are truffles key to the survival of the forest ecosystem at large?
6:49
What does it mean to preserve a place that is defined by it's impermanence?
9:12
What does one of Earth's harshest environments teach us about planet survival?
6:42
At 87º Celcius, the Grand Prismatic Spring is a beacon of microbial life and discovery.
6:57
At 50 million years old, the origins of Devils Tower or Bears Lodge remains a mystery.
8:26
An ancient and modern mystery, what about bioluminescence inspires such obsession?
8:56
Over half a million years old, the story of Mono Lake is one of survival.
5:44
At 450 million years old, moss may hold the key to surviving our rapidly warming planet.
7:05
What are icebergs doing so close to land and why must we keep an eye on them?
7:30
What makes the Coast Redwood, a tree as old as the dinosaurs, epically singular in nature?