0:00:14 > 0:00:17In this series, I'm travelling around the Pacific rim,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20to visit some of the most volatile places on Earth,
0:00:20 > 0:00:23and discover how the rocks beneath our feet
0:00:23 > 0:00:26are fundamental to the history of life on our planet.
0:00:29 > 0:00:34My journey includes the hostile peaks of the Peruvian Andes,
0:00:34 > 0:00:39the geological booby traps of California,
0:00:39 > 0:00:42and the magnificent mountains of Japan.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48But in this episode, I'm exploring exotic Indonesia.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51To a geologist like me,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54this is the land of the Holy Grail.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59It has the most awesome range of volcanoes anywhere in the world.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08For thousands of years,
0:01:08 > 0:01:14these volcanoes have had a huge impact on the lives of those who live here,
0:01:14 > 0:01:17destroying whole civilisations.
0:01:17 > 0:01:23And these fiery peaks have shaped the history of the whole planet.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39As a geologist,
0:01:39 > 0:01:47I'm fascinated to discover how the volcanoes of Indonesia have transformed civilisations.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Not just locally but all over the world.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55Indonesia has more active volcanoes than anywhere else
0:01:55 > 0:01:58and is home to many different religions.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01It's an archipelago of 17,000 islands,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05but my journey starts with one of the lesser known, Sumbawa.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13One volcano here had an extraordinary effect on art, literature,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17and even technology, 9,000km away in Europe.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25I'm gonna show you how this bizarre sequence of events was triggered by the rocks beneath our feet.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45It all took place in 1815,
0:02:45 > 0:02:52when a volcano called Tambora blew its top in a ferocious surge of power.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00It was a largest known eruption of the last millennium.
0:03:11 > 0:03:17From the nearest town, I would need to trek for five gruelling days to reach Tambora,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and I'm not one to shirk a hike,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24but taking a helicopter was the best way to see the top of this volcano.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38The massive eruption left this crater 8km wide,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41and over a kilometre deep.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Known as a caldera,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51this is what remains when a volcano collapses in on itself.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00It's only from up here that you get a hint of Tambora's devastating power,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03when it blew nearly two centuries ago.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07To get an idea of the impact,
0:04:07 > 0:04:13don't just think about the spewing rivers of molten lava - it was much more than that.
0:04:27 > 0:04:34The eruption blasted 52 cubic kilometres of rock high into the atmosphere.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Carried by the winds, it began to spread,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41with terrible consequences.
0:04:42 > 0:04:49There are plenty of clues as to the devastation wrought by that ejected rock and dust.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Beneath my feet, there's this deep layer of ash.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55It's characteristically dark and powdery,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58and in these parts, over a metre thick.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04When it falls, this ash is terrible stuff.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06It adheres to the leaves of plants.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Even a thin coating is enough to stop the leaf from photosynthesising,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14from turning the sun's rays into useable energy.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15It kills the plant.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19It meant that in 1815,
0:05:19 > 0:05:25after Tambora blew, there was massive crop failure and widespread starvation.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32The effect could be felt in Europe and America, thousands of kilometres away.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43The debris blowing into the atmosphere included sulphur particles.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47This layer was thick enough to reflect the sun's rays back into space.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50And it actually caused the planet to cool.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53The results were catastrophic.
0:05:56 > 0:06:011860, the year after the blast, was so unusually cold in places,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04that it became known as the year without a summer.
0:06:06 > 0:06:12The big chill left countries in the northern hemisphere suffering from severe famine.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16On farms across Europe and America,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18crops failed to germinate.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21In all, 200,000 people died worldwide,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25making it one of the worst volcanic disasters of history.
0:06:28 > 0:06:34The catastrophe had surprising reverberations across European culture.
0:06:37 > 0:06:43At around that time, the British artist Turner painted spectacular sunsets.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48These fiery skies are believed to have been caused by particles in the atmosphere
0:06:48 > 0:06:51from the Tambora eruption.
0:06:51 > 0:06:57The freakishly cold winter of 1816, was said to have inspired Mary Shelley in Europe,
0:06:57 > 0:07:01to write this book, her classic story of Frankenstein.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07The lack of food during the year of without a summer inspired new technology too.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10It said to have prompted a German inventor,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13to devise a new form of transport that didn't require a horse.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16This beast of burden didn't require feeding.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21Known as a running machine, it was a predecessor to the modern day bicycle.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28Indonesia is situated in what is known as the ring of fire.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31This extends northwards from South America,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35arching across Alaska, and goes south past Japan.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38It's dotted with volcanoes,
0:07:38 > 0:07:42but the largest number of active ones can be found here in Indonesia.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52Worldwide, two-thirds of deaths caused by eruptions over the last few centuries
0:07:52 > 0:07:56have happened on these islands.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11With volcanoes so entwined in the destiny of Indonesians,
0:08:11 > 0:08:16I want to find out how they've shaped people's fundamental beliefs about their gods.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Indonesia is a melting pot of religions.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24It's home to Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians,
0:08:24 > 0:08:28but I've been told there's a local uniqueness to these faiths,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30thanks to the perilous geology here.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36To discover this relationship between rocks and religion,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40I'm heading 150km west of Tambora to Bali,
0:08:40 > 0:08:45where I'll be visiting one of the most extraordinary temples in the world.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55The Balinese have been Hindu for thousands of years.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59But their faith is different from the original Indian Hinduism,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02having absorbed many animistic beliefs.
0:09:02 > 0:09:08'I'm meeting Gusaji, who will become a Hindu high priest next year.'
0:09:08 > 0:09:11- What's this then?- It's a sarong. It's a Balinese custom.
0:09:11 > 0:09:17- It must be worn by someone who want to attend ceremony, who want to come to temple.- Ah ha.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22What's the difference of Hinduism in Bali and Hinduism in India?
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Most important difference that we have, in Bali we have volcanoes.
0:09:26 > 0:09:32- Volcanoes.- They give us life and bring us death.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36There's no volcanoes in India, that makes a difference to us.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Gusaji and his family live in the shadow of Gunung Agung,
0:09:42 > 0:09:46a volcano they and many Balinese hold to be sacred.
0:09:46 > 0:09:52- So do you believe that gods live in the volcano?- Yes, we believe it very much.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Gunung Agung is the home of the garden of the mountain.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59They got good gods or bad gods? Do they destroy or protect?
0:09:59 > 0:10:03We expect him to protect here in Bali.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Sometimes, he doesn't always protect.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09Some time he doesn't protect us.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Yeah, we try to make him happy.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Perched on slopes of Agung is Besakih,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21the great mother temple of Bali.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25It's here the islanders perform ceremonies to assuage Vishnu
0:10:26 > 0:10:28and the other gods of the mountain.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33The Balinese believe rituals must be performed absolutely correctly.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Many remember one time when they got it wrong.
0:10:41 > 0:10:47An important ceremony held once every hundred years and known as the Eka Dasa Rudra,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51was due to get underway at Besakih on March 8th, 1963.
0:10:53 > 0:10:59The Indonesian president wanted the delegates of a huge tourism conference
0:10:59 > 0:11:01to see the wonders of Balinese culture.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06So he demanded that the timing of the ceremony should coincide with the conference.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10But ten minutes after the start of the rituals...
0:11:11 > 0:11:14..smoke began to pour from Mount Agung.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20These pictures show the volcano erupting.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28In that time, I was still young, maybe nine years old.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32I could see the explosion, the fire,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35the ashes cover all of Bali island,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38and also small stone also,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40come down from the sky.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48Many worshippers at the temple of Besakih decided to stay and pray,
0:11:48 > 0:11:53rather than flee even though a massive lava flow was heading straight for them.
0:11:54 > 0:12:01The lava flow on the south part of the mountain, it destroyed everything but avoided the temple.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- It avoided the temple?- Yes.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08- You think it avoided it deliberately? - I think so. I think so.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Agung had laid dormant for hundreds of years.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Many Balinese believe the eruption was no coincidence.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Why do you think the eruption happened?
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Because the ceremony was on the wrong day,
0:12:21 > 0:12:25I think the god of mountain angry at that time.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31It's not surprising that today, the Balinese go to great lengths to please their gods.
0:12:40 > 0:12:46Today, hundreds of worshippers bring offerings from all over the island.
0:12:49 > 0:12:55They're hoping to entice the gods down from their volcanic home.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02BELL RINGS
0:13:07 > 0:13:10'Today, I'm a special guest at the ceremony.'
0:13:10 > 0:13:15The priest arrives and starts to pray with mantras to the gods.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20What the priest say in his mantra,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23"Oh God, please come down from the mountain.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28"We are ready to worship you here. You are the creator, protector.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31"We are ready with all kinds of offerings for you.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36"Bless us here and then protect us forever."
0:13:41 > 0:13:45Once the gods are lured down to the temple,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47worshippers will try to keep them here.
0:13:47 > 0:13:53The longer they stay, the greater the good fortune bestowed on the assembled company.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02Entertainment is laid on to persuade the gods to dally among the mortals.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06This is the sacred dance of the virgins.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20They're followed by the warriors.
0:14:23 > 0:14:29The warrior are ready to welcome him to entertain him as well.
0:14:29 > 0:14:35- And they'll protect the god if he comes down?- Yeah, to save him exactly. To protect him.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43The ceremonies last all day,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46and when they're over, the gods return to their mountain.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51- So do you think it was successful? - It was very very successful.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55- And then we get the gods out, very very happy.- Good.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58- Very successful I think. - I'm glad they're pleased!
0:15:05 > 0:15:10Volcanoes are fundamental to the beliefs of people on this island.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Thanks to geology, Bali has its own brand of Hinduism,
0:15:14 > 0:15:19a faith inextricably woven into this volatile landscape.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30I'm travelling 600km to Java,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33which is the next island west of Bali.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36It's one of the most densely populated parts of Indonesia.
0:15:41 > 0:15:47If a reliable warning system for eruptions is needed anywhere, it's here.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Thousands of people live here in the shadow of Mount Merapi,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59one of the most dangerous volcanoes in Indonesia.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01It erupts every year,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04and every six years, there's a big one.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13These pictures from Merapi show the cause of most human casualties -
0:16:13 > 0:16:17pyroclastic flows.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Extremely hot blasts of ash and debris
0:16:20 > 0:16:23which hurtle down at speeds of up to 100mph.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35In 1994, a deadly pyroclastic flow ripped right through this village.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39It measured an incredible 400 degrees centigrade
0:16:39 > 0:16:41and the houses were just incinerated.
0:16:41 > 0:16:4343 people died.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Scientists are doing their best to predict eruptions here,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02but even with the latest technology,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05such forecasts can be notoriously vague.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12This is the Babadan Observatory on the flanks of Merapi.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18I'm meeting Dr Rudi Hadasantano, a fellow geologist,
0:17:18 > 0:17:22who like me has me has been studying volcanoes for years.
0:17:22 > 0:17:28We have 69 volcanoes monitored throughout Indonesia.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33Rudi has invited me to join him in an expedition to the top of the mountain
0:17:33 > 0:17:37to collect crucial data for making predictions.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40You don't get a chance like this every day.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44But it's gonna be a hard slog up the 3,000m high peak.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50First, we need to find out whether the mountain is quiet enough for us to make the claim.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52What exactly are you monitoring?
0:17:52 > 0:17:56We're monitoring the summit of the volcano.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59The growth of the dome of Merapi.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03By taking the picture, day by day and week by week,
0:18:03 > 0:18:08if there is any change, it means that the dome getting bigger.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13So the dome is getting steeper because of magma pushing through?
0:18:13 > 0:18:17- Yes.- And what happens if that steepens?- It can collapse.
0:18:17 > 0:18:18- It can fall off?- Yeah.
0:18:18 > 0:18:23And when the dome falls off, that's when deadly pyroclastic flows occur.
0:18:24 > 0:18:30I can show you what's happening with Merapi with this bottle of fizzy water.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34If I shake it up, the gas that's trapped inside the drink
0:18:34 > 0:18:35separates out.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38But it can't escape so it builds up pressure.
0:18:38 > 0:18:44Under Merapi, gas is released from the molten rock but it can't escape cos it's underground.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Eventually though...
0:18:46 > 0:18:49the pressure builds up and it goes,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51taking lava, ash and dust with it.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54An explosive eruption.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56And gassy too.
0:18:56 > 0:19:01The scientists here have another more immediate way of collecting data,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04on the state of the volcano.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06What are we monitoring here?
0:19:06 > 0:19:11Here we have seismograph detecting the earthquake of Merapi.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15The significance here is that as molten rock breaks its way to the surface,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19it creates earthquakes and lots of earthquakes means it might erupt.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23- So anything going?- Yeah, we have a earthquake example yesterday.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27This is during the quiet time.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31- Not during eruption.- Right. - And what happens during an eruption?
0:19:31 > 0:19:33It has a different pattern.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37Look at this! It's gone crazy!
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Really, that's an eruption about to happen.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Wow.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45The main thing is for me, is that's it's quiet is it?
0:19:45 > 0:19:49It's quiet. You see we have nothing.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52You're waiting for that needle to start going...
0:19:52 > 0:19:54We like just plain paper.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58These readings suggest that it's safe for us to climb Merapi
0:19:58 > 0:20:00and collect more data higher up.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06The question is how effective are these measurements for making predictions and saving lives?
0:20:06 > 0:20:10We'll find out the answer to that tomorrow.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21So we have the gas sampling? He's gone to get it.
0:20:21 > 0:20:27'After a few fitful hours sleep, I join Rudi's team of porters and technicians,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30'who are loading up ready to make the ascent.'
0:20:32 > 0:20:35We have a five-hour trek up the volcano to the summit,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38with a 20-man team carrying equipment and water.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40These lamps are gonna light our way.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44The path's a bit muddy because we've had a lot of rain.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48It's been blowing a gale overnight so we'll just see what we're gonna get up there.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57We need to reach the top by dawn.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03THUNDER RUMBLES
0:21:03 > 0:21:05RAIN POURS
0:21:13 > 0:21:16The climb proves harder than I'd imagined.
0:21:16 > 0:21:242,000m up, the heavy wind and rain prevent me seeing more than a short distance ahead.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26RAIN POURS
0:21:30 > 0:21:32We're at the halfway point,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36and to be honest, at this moment, it's more like western Scotland than Indonesia.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38We're all pretty exhausted.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Finally, the night storm moves off,
0:21:54 > 0:21:58leaving us with a breathtaking view of the great peak, towering above us.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10Four hours gone, and we're within sight of the summit.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14I can see the smoke and fumaroles, it stinks. It's fantastic.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06I can't believe it, just coming to the summit of Merapi.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Here it is!
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Ahead of me,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13is the dome-like plug of hardened lava.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16If that collapses, we're all in trouble,
0:23:16 > 0:23:22but it's here that we need to take our more accurate measurements, and find out the volcano's state.
0:23:33 > 0:23:39Swirling around the pinnacle of Merapi are toxic sulphur and carbon dioxide gases,
0:23:39 > 0:23:41so we have to put on masks.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43On the gas field,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46we join Rudi's team as they start work.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52First, a thermometer is thrown into one of the fumaroles.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- 800 degrees Centigrade?- Yes.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23We go on to measure the mixture of gases coming out of the volcano.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27- Tap's opening.- Yeah! There it goes!
0:24:27 > 0:24:32'It's the ratio of these gases which is the key to predicting an eruption.'
0:24:32 > 0:24:38The increase of sulphur dioxide gives us information about the increasing magma
0:24:38 > 0:24:41from the magma chamber on to the surface.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46And that tells us the magma is getting closer and closer to the surface - is that right?
0:24:46 > 0:24:47Yes, just right.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51Today, the sulphur dioxide is at normal levels,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55and temperatures are stable which suggests the volcano is safe -
0:24:55 > 0:24:57for now at least.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02Have you made an predictions of eruptions here that have saved lives?
0:25:02 > 0:25:07Yes. Some time during the increased activity of the recent one.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11We asked the local government to ask the people to leave their villages.
0:25:11 > 0:25:17How much time for warning can you give people around Merapi of an eruption?
0:25:17 > 0:25:20At least two or three days before the eruption.
0:25:29 > 0:25:34The good news is that with modern science, us geologists can predict reasonably accurately,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37when a volcano's about the blow.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41The bad news is that we can only give a day or so's notice.
0:25:41 > 0:25:47When it comes to evacuate the thousands of people, that just may not be enough.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Just a few weeks after my visit,
0:25:55 > 0:26:00Merapi began spewing out clouds of ash, gas and rock.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Rudi feared she was about to fully erupt,
0:26:07 > 0:26:12and over 20,000 locals were evacuated from the immediate area.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Elderly women and children were taken to special shelters.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Things looked perilous as lava poured from the summit.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Molten boulders crashed down the sides.
0:26:33 > 0:26:40And once again, pyroclastic flows swept 4km through fields at the base.
0:26:40 > 0:26:47In the end, Merapi calmed down and the threat of a serious eruption passed.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50But just as locals were breathing a sigh of relief,
0:26:50 > 0:26:55the area was struck by another geological disaster, a huge earthquake.
0:27:00 > 0:27:06Nearly 6,000 people were killed and up to 200,000 left homeless.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14It was a terrible reminder of just how unstable the geology is in this region.
0:27:18 > 0:27:25Throughout history, Indonesia's volcanoes have been responsible for some awful catastrophes.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30But the story of the volcanoes here isn't all about destruction.
0:27:30 > 0:27:36In the west, we've developed a use of volcanic rocks as ingredients in rather exotic products,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38like toothpaste and cat litter.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42But in the east, they've been considerably more ambitious.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46This is Borobudur, one the of the great wonders of the ancient world.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53It's the biggest monument in the southern hemisphere.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56Build between the eighth and ninth centuries,
0:27:57 > 0:28:01as a Buddhist holy place, Borobudur is made entirely of andesite,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04a volcanic rock.
0:28:04 > 0:28:12The stone from which this astonishing monument was built originally came from Merapi,
0:28:12 > 0:28:14and surrounding volcanoes.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19Andesite is a result of lava cooling quickly in contact with air,
0:28:19 > 0:28:22trapping bubbles which fill with a glassy crystal.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27It's that which gives us volcanic rock great advantages as a building stone.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32It must have been hard to haul the stone to the site.
0:28:32 > 0:28:38But once there, stonemasons found it had great advantages as a building material.
0:28:40 > 0:28:46Toni Tack is an art historian was has studied Borobudur for 30 years.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Is this rock easy to carve?
0:28:48 > 0:28:52Yes. It's easier than granite.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55It has this character about it.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57It has crystals inside,
0:28:57 > 0:29:00that have a tendency to explode.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03I can see that, attacked by them.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07- Can I get a little go, do you think? - I'll ask him.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09THEY SPEAK IN LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:29:09 > 0:29:11Yeah.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13I won't break it. It's not going to snap in two.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17- You need goggles.- You should. My students, I always tell them.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20- Slant it a bit more. - Do that?- That's right.
0:29:22 > 0:29:28- Yeah, it's all soft and sandy, isn't it?- It's kind of like volcanic beach sand.- Yeah.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32When this was getting built, there wouldn't have been three of these.
0:29:32 > 0:29:38- You must've been able to hear the noise for kilometres. - Hundreds.- Hundreds of people.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41- Thunderous. - Gosh, you've quite a hand at this.
0:29:41 > 0:29:46I like rocks. I do like rocks. I should stop though - our man here is much better.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48- Why don't you try?- You do it.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52Ah!
0:29:52 > 0:29:57- Thank you.- Would you like to walk around, have a look around? - Yes, please.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59See where those rocks go.
0:29:59 > 0:30:04This artificial mountain is 35 metres high
0:30:04 > 0:30:08and covered in 3km of pictures known as "bass reliefs".
0:30:08 > 0:30:11So what does this magnificent monument represent?
0:30:11 > 0:30:12Amazing, isn't it?
0:30:12 > 0:30:20It's of course a Buddhist monument and it represents... tells the life of Buddha in stone,
0:30:20 > 0:30:22the bass reliefs on the lower levels,
0:30:22 > 0:30:29and the function was that the monks long ago would circumambulate the monument and read the bass reliefs.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32- They couldn't read and write at that time.- Ah.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36It's really, you could say, like a 9th century comic strip.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40- A giant comic strip.- Yeah. - That's one way of looking at it.
0:30:43 > 0:30:48The crystals in the andesite help to form a stone which could be easily carved.
0:30:48 > 0:30:54This allowed the ancient Buddhist craftsmen to sculpt beautifully detailed pictures.
0:30:55 > 0:31:02This is our story about Buddha, but before he was born as a human being, he had many different incarnations.
0:31:02 > 0:31:07Here he is as a turtle. You see him swimming through the sea.
0:31:07 > 0:31:13- That's the first panel. The second panel you see that he comes across a ship. See the ship?- Mmm.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18There are merchants on the ship and the ship is sinking.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20There's a huge storm. See the waves?
0:31:20 > 0:31:23And there's a strange shark with his mouth open.
0:31:23 > 0:31:30Buddha turtle comes along and says, "Have no fear. I will take you to safety. Climb on my back."
0:31:30 > 0:31:35Here he is taking them all to safety. They're all on his back.
0:31:35 > 0:31:40And he takes them to land, the last panel, and here you see the merchants are saved,
0:31:40 > 0:31:44and they're listening to Buddha turtle, who is preaching to them,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47then because there's nothing to eat, he offers his body to them.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50- Ah!- He sacrifices himself to these people.
0:31:50 > 0:31:57He gains merit because of this and in his next life, he has a higher incarnation. Isn't that beautiful?
0:32:06 > 0:32:14'It's believed to have taken over 100 years to carve all the 1,500 bass reliefs which grace the monument.
0:32:18 > 0:32:23'But this extraordinary cultural heritage is under threat.'
0:32:25 > 0:32:29Here I'd like to show you one of the sadder aspects of Borobudur.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33This is a bass relief of a sick man.
0:32:33 > 0:32:39- If you look at this photograph from about 100 years ago, you can see clearly his ribs are visible.- Yeah.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42- You can hardly see any ribs at all. - No, no.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46- This has happened in other places. - Has it?- Yes.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52It's the volcanic nature of the stone which makes it so vulnerable.
0:32:52 > 0:32:57Those glassy crystals in the andesite are being loosened out.
0:32:57 > 0:33:04They're just falling out and leaving behind holes, and the weathering just gets in there and opens it up.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08I think that's producing pitting all over the surface. Tragic, really.
0:33:11 > 0:33:17'The geological make up of the stone means that some carvings are under greater threat than others.
0:33:18 > 0:33:23'The difference in rates of weathering is often apparent in adjacent panels.'
0:33:23 > 0:33:28What we're seeing here is different weathering rates from different parts of the lava flow.
0:33:28 > 0:33:33At the edge of the lava flow, it cools very fast and the crystals are very small.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36If you've got small crystals, it's much harder to weather them.
0:33:36 > 0:33:41But if it's from the centre of the lava flow, it cools slowly and you get big crystals,
0:33:41 > 0:33:47- so where it is in the lava flow determines the way that it weathers. - Interesting.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59Merapi was also at the centre of the decisive event in the monument's history.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03In a terrible twist of irony,
0:34:03 > 0:34:10the very volcano that had created the materials to build this monument also proved to be its undoing.
0:34:21 > 0:34:271,000 years ago, an angry Merapi spewed out vast quantities of ash
0:34:27 > 0:34:31which fell from the skies and partially covered sacred Borobudur.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39It was quickly abandoned and, in time, forgotten.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47The monument disappeared along with its Buddhist culture.
0:34:54 > 0:34:59Borobudur was not rediscovered until the beginning of the 19th century.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15It's been a fascinating geological journey for me so far.
0:35:15 > 0:35:21The volcanoes of Indonesia seem to impact on everything - religion, culture, art, literature.
0:35:21 > 0:35:28This lush landscape of Java is a clue to an even grander claim made on behalf of the country's volcanoes -
0:35:28 > 0:35:32that they were the key to the discovery of new worlds.
0:35:38 > 0:35:43This place is known as the Garden of Java because of its fertility.
0:35:44 > 0:35:49For such productive land, we have the volcanoes to thank.
0:35:52 > 0:35:58This red brown earth was once ash that fell from the sky during a volcanic eruption.
0:35:58 > 0:36:03As well as iron, which gives it the red colour, it contains a strong natural fertiliser, phosphorous,
0:36:03 > 0:36:07which, when combined with plant matter, makes for a rich soil,
0:36:07 > 0:36:11perfect for growing cloves and nutmeg.
0:36:12 > 0:36:18'Nutmeg is pretty fussy about where it grows, but it does love soil like this.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24'500 years ago, when the spice first became popular in Europe,
0:36:24 > 0:36:30'it could only be found in Indonesia or a small archipelago called the Spice Islands.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36'Nowadays, nutmeg trees are much more widespread.
0:36:36 > 0:36:42'The Ngobo Plantation on the slopes of the Ungaran volcano is one of the largest in the country.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50'It takes a certain skill to harvest the mature trees.
0:36:53 > 0:36:59'Even though often precariously perched up to 15 metres above the ground,
0:36:59 > 0:37:04'an experienced worker can pick the crop on one tree in under an hour.'
0:37:07 > 0:37:09This is what she's harvesting.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14On the outside, it's a white pulp.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19In the middle is the nutmeg itself.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23This humble nut changed the world in the most profound way.
0:37:28 > 0:37:34Between the 16th and 19th centuries, it was the must-have spice of Europe.
0:37:34 > 0:37:39Highly valued as a food preservative and for medicinal purposes.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47There were curious applications as well.
0:37:47 > 0:37:52Popping a nutmeg under your left armpit prior to social events was believed to attract admirers.
0:37:56 > 0:38:03A 16th century monk advised young men to carry a vial of nutmeg oil to anoint their genitals for virility.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05I'll hang on to this one.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Nutmeg became worth its weight in gold.
0:38:15 > 0:38:22Arab traders held a monopoly on its import to Europe, and could charge whatever price they wanted.
0:38:23 > 0:38:29Not surprisingly, European buyers decided to take control of this lucrative trade for themselves,
0:38:29 > 0:38:35so they launched expeditions to find the root to the spice and bring it back directly.
0:38:40 > 0:38:47Christopher Columbus was searching for the root to the Spice Islands when he stumbled upon the New World.
0:38:47 > 0:38:53So these nutmeg-friendly volcanic soils played a key role in the discovery of America no less.
0:38:54 > 0:39:01'A few years later, Ferdinand Magellan also set off to find a westward route to the Spice Islands.
0:39:01 > 0:39:07'He died on the way, but his surviving crew continued west and made it back to Spain.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11'They became the first men to circumnavigate the globe.
0:39:15 > 0:39:21'Indonesia's volcanoes have been instrumental in shaping the history of the world.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25'But so far, I've only looked at human history.
0:39:27 > 0:39:34'Volcanoes provide the answer to one of the most intriguing mysteries of the plant and animal kingdoms.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39'It's a story centred on these exotic islands.'
0:39:42 > 0:39:47The principle character is a brilliant, but forgotten hero of history.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51He should be a household name, as well known as Charles Darwin,
0:39:51 > 0:39:55but Alfred Russel Wallace somehow got lost in the mist of time.
0:39:55 > 0:40:01In the 19th century, he made a discovery which was hugely significant
0:40:01 > 0:40:04for our understanding of the world around us.
0:40:05 > 0:40:10To show you what I mean, I'm in one of the leading centres for bird conservation.
0:40:10 > 0:40:16Here, Ria Saryanthi from Birdlife Indonesia will take me on the trail of Wallace's discovery.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19At first, he observed the many birds of Bali,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21such as the magpie robin.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24It's one of the popular songbirds.
0:40:24 > 0:40:31Rich men, they have a house, they have a car, wife, and also that bird, the magpie robin.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33- So it's a status symbol?- Yes.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37Wallace catalogued these and thousands of other species.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41When it came to mapping where they lived, he came across something that puzzled him.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45Generally, Asian birds like these are only found on Bali to its west.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48There's fish and things like that.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52But to the east of Bali, there were completely different birds.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56Instead, they were all Australian species, such as the cockatoo.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58This is Anne-Marie.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01This is one of the Australian species.
0:41:01 > 0:41:06He came from the eastern part of Indonesia.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10- It's magnificent.- It's well known as a mimic bird.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Do you think it'll understand Scottish?
0:41:12 > 0:41:14- Hello.- Och aye the noo!
0:41:14 > 0:41:17- Hello. Hello. - BIRD SQUAWKS
0:41:17 > 0:41:20If he's Australian, I have to say "good day" or something, do I?
0:41:20 > 0:41:22There you are.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25Anne-Marie. Hello.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27I keep thinking it's going to bite my nose off.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30Aw, look at that. Hello.
0:41:30 > 0:41:37'It was a mystery. Why should there be Asian birds on one side and Australian on the other?'
0:41:38 > 0:41:43Wallace realised there was some kind of line dividing bird species, and it didn't stop at birds.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45It effected other animals too.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48Oh! Oh!
0:41:48 > 0:41:50Look what I've got. I've got eggs.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Hey, hey, hey!
0:41:53 > 0:41:55Greedy!
0:41:55 > 0:41:58They're so cheeky. Hiya. He's got two!
0:41:59 > 0:42:01You cheeky one.
0:42:01 > 0:42:06'From Bali and to the west, Wallace found mammals that were more typical of Asia.
0:42:06 > 0:42:11Species like monkeys which carried their unborn offspring in their wombs.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15To the east, there were marsupials who carried their young in pouches.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18They are more associated with Australia.
0:42:20 > 0:42:25Wallace carefully mapped out this division, which became known as the "Wallace Line".
0:42:25 > 0:42:29It extended northwards, right through Indonesia.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32To the west, Asian species dominated.
0:42:32 > 0:42:37To the east of Bali, there were completely different Australian species.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44For all his genius, Wallace never completely understood
0:42:44 > 0:42:48the mechanisms that made the species on either side so different.
0:42:49 > 0:42:55Today, partly thanks to volcanoes, we have the means to find an answer.
0:42:57 > 0:43:02This rock, called a loadstone, is like a miniature version of the earth,
0:43:02 > 0:43:04because just like the earth, it's magnetic.
0:43:04 > 0:43:11If I put these iron filings on top of it, they line up with the magnetic field of the rock.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18'Over millions of years, as the surface of the earth was being formed,
0:43:18 > 0:43:21'volcanoes spewed out red-hot molten lava.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25'That liquid rock contained particles like the iron filings
0:43:25 > 0:43:29'which aligned themselves with the earth's magnetic field.'
0:43:29 > 0:43:33As the molten volcanic rock cooled and hardened,
0:43:33 > 0:43:38their alignment became fixed, like tiny compass needles stuck in time.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41These were the key to solving the mystery of the Wallace Line.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47The earth's surface consists of giant plates,
0:43:47 > 0:43:49which float on a viscous interior.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53The original north-south alignment of the stuck compass needles
0:43:53 > 0:43:56reveals how these plates have moved through time.
0:43:57 > 0:44:02Today, that alignment is out of synch with the earth's magnetic field.
0:44:04 > 0:44:10Let me show you with these rocks. This is Asia with Indonesia, and this is Australia.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12Today they meet across the Wallace Line.
0:44:12 > 0:44:17But if we spool back in time 150 million years, this is what happens.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21Australia breaks from Asia and heads south.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26Asia, just a little bit northwards.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29So these were two completely separate land masses.
0:44:29 > 0:44:33The fauna and flora evolved entirely independently of each other.
0:44:35 > 0:44:40We discover that Asia and Australia have come together from opposite ends of the world.
0:44:40 > 0:44:46That explains why animals on either side of the Wallace Line have evolved to be so profoundly different.
0:44:46 > 0:44:50It's volcanoes that have helped solve the mystery.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56'Volcanoes have a much more obvious role to play in evolution.
0:44:57 > 0:45:05'Every so often, eruptions suddenly obliterate every animal and plant for miles around.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12'Quite simply, life has to begin all over again.
0:45:15 > 0:45:22'For fauna and flora to recolonise an island laid bare by volcanoes and surrounded by miles of water,
0:45:22 > 0:45:24'is an extraordinary feat.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27'I want to know how they do this.
0:45:27 > 0:45:33'I'm off to look for clues on one of the most famous volcanoes in the world, Krakatoa.'
0:45:33 > 0:45:38Krakatoa sits ominously between Java and Sumatra.
0:45:38 > 0:45:43Its most notorious eruption was in 1883 when nearly 40,000 people died.
0:45:48 > 0:45:53There was a subsequent eruption of Krakatoa in 1930 which is not so well know.
0:45:58 > 0:46:04But it has allowed scientists to discover how plants and animals re-establish themselves
0:46:04 > 0:46:06following volcanic annihilation.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13Hi!
0:46:13 > 0:46:14Oh!
0:46:14 > 0:46:21'I'm meeting up with Dr Tucaren Partimeharju, a biologist who's spent years studying Krakatoa.
0:46:21 > 0:46:26'I'm hoping he'll be able to explain to me the process of natural colonisation.'
0:46:26 > 0:46:29- Hi.- Hello.- How are you?- Fine.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32Look at the weather! Amazing!
0:46:32 > 0:46:35- Krakatoa!- Welcome to Krakatoa. - Thank you very much. Fantastic!
0:46:35 > 0:46:42'When the first scientist visited the island two months after the eruption, they could find no sign of life.'
0:46:47 > 0:46:49Look at the size of that!
0:46:57 > 0:46:58- They parachute in?- That's right.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01When they get here, there's nothing, so they die.
0:47:04 > 0:47:09'However the pollen of simple plants, such as mosses, lichens and grasses,
0:47:09 > 0:47:12'was carried out to the island by the wind.'
0:47:26 > 0:47:30'The big breakthrough came with the arrival of larger plants.'
0:47:47 > 0:47:54- So when this arrives, it provides the food for the other plants and insects?- Yes, that's right.
0:47:56 > 0:48:00'We are to spend the night in a hut in the shadow of the volcano.
0:48:04 > 0:48:11'As dinner is prepared, Tucaren tells me how, seven years ago, he experienced Krakatoa's power.'
0:48:21 > 0:48:24What's it like being in the middle of an eruption?
0:48:28 > 0:48:30It was that strong?
0:48:34 > 0:48:38What was coming down on you? Was it just ash?
0:49:02 > 0:49:08'After the 1930 eruption, animals and plants were carried great distances to the island,
0:49:08 > 0:49:13'often transported on logs, branches and other, more surprising rafts.'
0:49:16 > 0:49:20Pumice like this would have been hurled a great distance by the eruption.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24Air holes inside make it light and extremely buoyant.
0:49:25 > 0:49:31Large boulders of pumice often get tangled up with other debris to create a seaworthy platform.
0:49:31 > 0:49:38They acted like a kind of Noah's Ark carrying small insects, eggs and seeds thousands of miles.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40If I want to get washed up onto the shore,
0:49:40 > 0:49:44this floating life raft would have introduced new and exotic species.
0:49:53 > 0:49:58'From their studies, scientists found that within three years of an eruption,
0:49:58 > 0:50:03'insects could survive on the island by eating the simple plants already growing there.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08'But bigger creatures had a more difficult time.
0:50:08 > 0:50:12'They needed to eat more nourishing food if they were to survive.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17'One breakthrough plant allowed them to get established.'
0:50:19 > 0:50:21What's this tree?
0:50:27 > 0:50:28What sort of animal eats figs?
0:50:32 > 0:50:37- Right, so bigger animals now. - Relatively bigger.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42The fig was quickly followed by other fruit trees.
0:50:42 > 0:50:47Not long after, higher order land animals made the island their home.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51What are the biggest animals on Krakatoa?
0:50:56 > 0:50:59Pig?! How did that get here?
0:51:02 > 0:51:06Can they? I didn't know that! What about anything dangerous?
0:51:11 > 0:51:14That's quite dangerous. How did that get there?
0:51:22 > 0:51:27'However, there's not the same mix of species here as on the Indonesian mainland.'
0:51:33 > 0:51:38As life returns to islands like Krakatoa, it seems there's a natural filter.
0:51:38 > 0:51:43Only species with mechanisms to travel across the ocean can colonise them.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46As a result, there's a real uniqueness to their habitat.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53'Even when the ecosystem is fully fledged,
0:51:53 > 0:51:58'fresh eruptions can render barren swathes of the island all over again.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05'There have been dozens on Krakatoa since 1930.
0:52:05 > 0:52:09'Each one has left its own trail of destruction.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17'Just like Tambora, which I visited at the beginning of my journey,
0:52:17 > 0:52:23'Krakatoa erupted so violently in 1883 that it effected world climate.
0:52:23 > 0:52:29'But Krakatoa and Tambora are small fry compared with what may lie ahead.'
0:52:36 > 0:52:39There could be an unfathomably huge eruption on the horizon,
0:52:39 > 0:52:43one which would eclipse anything I've talked about so far,
0:52:43 > 0:52:46and there's evidence that it'll happen right here in Indonesia.
0:52:46 > 0:52:53One ancient eruption of this monster volcano came close to wiping out the entire human race.
0:53:08 > 0:53:12'I'm now travelling to Sumatra on the far west of Indonesia
0:53:12 > 0:53:15'on the trail of the world's most ominous volcano.
0:53:18 > 0:53:22'Toba is the biggest lake in southeast Asia.
0:53:25 > 0:53:31'It's a lovely place, a real tourist attraction with its cool, refreshing waters.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34'But don't be fooled by its serenity.
0:53:34 > 0:53:40'74,000 years ago, this place couldn't have been more different.'
0:53:41 > 0:53:45The proof that something happened here is written into these rocks.
0:53:45 > 0:53:51They're called "ignimbrites", and they can only be formed by those hot, pyroclastic flows.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55The lake itself, well, that's a pretty big clue too.
0:53:55 > 0:53:59It's a volcanic crater filled with water, the biggest in the world.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01You can see the edge of it over there.
0:54:03 > 0:54:08'As for the other end, that's 100km away.
0:54:09 > 0:54:14'When the Toba volcano blew, it must have been ferocious.
0:54:14 > 0:54:19'Geologists have found ash from here as far away as India.
0:54:19 > 0:54:24'The eruption was probably the biggest in the history of mankind.
0:54:49 > 0:54:55'Toba is estimated to have ejected some 7,000 cubic kilometres of magma.
0:54:58 > 0:55:05'It was over 3,000 times more powerful than the 1980 Mount St Helens eruption.
0:55:08 > 0:55:14'Volcanologists have adopted the term "humungous" to describe Toba's eruption.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17'I can't argue with that one.'
0:55:25 > 0:55:29The ash and sulphur thrown up by Toba into the atmosphere
0:55:29 > 0:55:34caused six to seven years of global volcanic winter.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36It may even have kick-started a new ice age.
0:55:36 > 0:55:42There's evidence that this dealt a devastating blow to early man,
0:55:42 > 0:55:44and even affects the way we are today.
0:55:46 > 0:55:50'There are significantly fewer genetic variations in the human race
0:55:50 > 0:55:55'than would be expected for a species that has been around for as long as we have.'
0:55:55 > 0:56:03One explanation is that the food shortages caused by Toba wiped out 75% of the human population,
0:56:03 > 0:56:09meaning that we're all related to a surprisingly small genetic pool of distant ancestors.
0:56:20 > 0:56:26'These are the ancient Karo Batak people who have lived with this sleeping giant for millennia.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33'They're bringing me to their sacred ceremonial pools.'
0:56:36 > 0:56:38THEY CHANT IN THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE
0:56:42 > 0:56:44The Batak are worried.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48Recently the area has been shaken by big earthquakes.
0:56:48 > 0:56:52So today the villagers pray to their gods and make offerings
0:56:52 > 0:56:56before submerging in the steamy water and anointing their hair.
0:57:00 > 0:57:06This boiling pool is a sign that the area is geologically unstable.
0:57:06 > 0:57:13These bubbles are coming up from a series of fault lines or cracks near the surface caused by earthquakes.
0:57:15 > 0:57:2215km below Toba is a massive reservoir of molten rock, known as a magma lake.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28It's the only one in this part of the world,
0:57:28 > 0:57:32and its meshed into this network of unstable fault lines.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43The fear is that the earthquakes could open up the faults
0:57:43 > 0:57:49which would act as pathways to allow the magma to burst through and create a super volcano.
0:57:49 > 0:57:53It could be as bad as the one that shook the world 74,000 years ago.
0:57:58 > 0:58:05The big question is, how would the human race survive should Lake Toba erupt once again
0:58:05 > 0:58:08and become a cataclysmic super volcano?
0:58:13 > 0:58:20Some scientists predict that if one of these eruptions happens again, we'll have to colonise space.
0:58:20 > 0:58:27I think we'd be better off trying to figure out how to cope with such a colossal event back here on Earth.
0:58:27 > 0:58:32The people of Indonesia have been living with their fiery peaks for thousands of years.
0:58:32 > 0:58:35I just hope that we can do as good a job.