We learn more about how water interacts with the minerals in the rocks, and visit Monument Valley, a popular spot for filming westerns and commercials.

The Colorado Plateau and the Grand Canyon are just a few of the amazing geographical features of the Southwestern United States.

We visit Bryce Canyon, where valuable fossils have helped understand the geological history of the planet. The sandstone spires of the canyon are breathtaking.

In this segment, the narrator explains where the name Bryce Canyon came from, and why the sand dunes in the US and the large deserts of the world might be related.

The narrator explains how the breathtaking rock formations of Antelope Canyon came to be, and why mountains around the world can provide a metaphor for human existence.

In winter, Europe’s greatest mountain range, the Alps, lies blanketed by snow and ice. For the majestic golden eagles, who make these remote and impressive peaks their home, these are hard times, and food is scarce. But one eagle is lucky: An avalanche results in an unexpected meal.

Under the ice, the water of the Alpine lakes never freezes, and fish can survive the harshness of winter. In February, eels and other fish species are spawning, depositing the eggs that will give life to their next generations. Along fast-flowing mountain streams, ice doesn’t form, and the dipper dives in search of invertebrates, crustaceans, and other tiny prey.

As spring arrives in the mountains, the first flowers appear with the sun, and the chamois descend the slopes in search of the first few blades of fresh grass. The ravens are feeding a brood of noisy youngsters, and, high up on an unapproachable crag, Biker the eagle sits on her nest.

As the last of the winter snow melts, fresh mountain meadows are once again revealed, and the animals take their chance to feed. Glacial meltwater flows into torrents, forming streams and rivers. Brightened by rich sediment, they transport vast quantities of gravel downstream, carving new landscapes in their wake.

Many of the world’s glaciers are melting away at an alarming rate due to the effects of global warming. There is little left to show of the once great alpine glacier, The Pasterze, that used to stretch for five kilometres on the slopes of the Grossglockner, Austria’s highest peak. But life goes in the Alps: An eagle chick is hatching from its egg. Small and vulnerable, it will depend entirely on its parents as it begins to grow and investigate its new environment.

The eagle chick is growing fast and the need for food is constant. The eagles' perfect prey is the marmot, or “groundhog,” whose large fat reserves make it a tasty and nourishing meal. But these cute little mammals are watchful and wary, and have no intention of being on the eagles’ menu today!

In a nearby nest, another pair of eagles have managed to raise two young. But with survival at stake, the younger chick must fend off a vicious assault from its older sibling. Eagle-owls are also nesting on the mountainside. Ducks, hares, rats, hedgehogs, and even ravens make up the diet of these fierce nighttime hunters.

Things are calmer now in the Alps than two and a half million years ago, when the collision of two great continental plates forced them skywards. But even the splendid summer flowers, which bloom briefly in the high pastures, must be able to withstand a sudden outbreak of winter, cold mountain winds and a flurry of snow.

In late summer, the ibex are feeding in the high pastures, preparing for the winter ahead. The young males jostle and clash horns, testing their strength in a series of energetic show fights. As night falls, we catch glimpses of the powerful red deer, and Biker the eagle takes flight in an effort to coax her chick into the air.

Biker’s chick is strong enough, but lacks the courage to fly the nest. She must use food to tempt it into flight. The nest will then be empty, and other species can make use of its strength and secure position to raise their broods.