0:00:08 > 0:00:09My God!
0:00:09 > 0:00:12VOLCANO EXPLODES
0:00:12 > 0:00:14This is Vanuatu,
0:00:14 > 0:00:15an island chain that's home
0:00:15 > 0:00:19to some of the most explosive volcanoes on the planet.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28To discover if another devastating eruption might happen,
0:00:28 > 0:00:32I'm joining a team who've spent years working on these islands.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Together, we'll venture deep into the heart
0:00:37 > 0:00:40of two of Vanuatu's most active volcanoes.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43KATE: I don't want to pull you over the edge, Tim.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45- TIM, MUFFLED:- You go back.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47God, my heart is in my mouth.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50- CHRIS:- Shane, we can't see you any more.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57On my journey through this land of liquid rock, dense jungle
0:00:57 > 0:00:59and unique animals,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02I'll also be meeting the people who call these islands home.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Prince Philip is my heart.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08I love him more than anyone else.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11I want to find out what it's like
0:01:11 > 0:01:13to live in the shadow of a violent volcano...
0:01:15 > 0:01:18..and get right beneath the skin of Fire Mountain.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23To understand how this volcano is behaving,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25we need to get off the rim of this crater
0:01:25 > 0:01:28and descend towards that fiery inferno.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53I'm on the final leg of what has been an incredibly long journey
0:01:53 > 0:01:56that's taken me 10,000 miles from the UK
0:01:56 > 0:02:00and 2,000 miles off the East Coast of Australia.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I'm now flying above an island chain
0:02:03 > 0:02:05called Vanuatu in the South Pacific.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11I'll be spending the next six days on Tanna,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15in the south of Vanuatu's 83 islands.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18They sit on the edge of the Ring of Fire,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21the world's most seismically active area
0:02:21 > 0:02:24with over 2,000 earthquakes each year.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32And Tanna is home to a volcano that explodes day and night.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42I'm going to be meeting scientists who have spent a lot of time here,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45geologists who know these volcanoes
0:02:45 > 0:02:47probably better than anyone else in the world,
0:02:47 > 0:02:52and anthropologists and linguists who can give me some sort of insight
0:02:52 > 0:02:57into how people live in an area that, to us, seems impossibly dangerous.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59PLANE ENGINES WHIRR
0:03:21 > 0:03:22Nice job.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30I've visited many of the world's volcanic hot spots,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33but I've never been to one where people live alongside
0:03:33 > 0:03:36such a consistently explosive volcano.
0:03:46 > 0:03:4930,000 people live on Tanna.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53They call their volcano Yasur, the Old Man,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55and it's been erupting for centuries.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Wow! Look at the plume.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Its glow even attracted Captain Cook
0:04:02 > 0:04:06when he first sailed to these islands in 1774.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11Look at that. Intensely gassy.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14'I'm on my way to join two volcanologists,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17'who've been tracking its behaviour for over a decade.'
0:04:17 > 0:04:20208 degrees, 212...
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Professor Shane Cronin and geologist Chris Firth
0:04:24 > 0:04:28are searching for any signs that, after centuries of stability,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32Yasur could produce another huge eruption
0:04:32 > 0:04:35capable of destroying the whole island.
0:04:39 > 0:04:45We can hear its constant rumbling from our village base a mile away.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48DISTANT RUMBLING AND EXPLOSIONS
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Well, this is a spot for a geological observatory, isn't it?
0:04:55 > 0:04:57It's pretty nice, isn't it?
0:04:57 > 0:04:59- Nice to see you. How are you? - Very good.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01- How are you doing? - Good, thank you.
0:05:01 > 0:05:02We've got the greatest view, I think.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05DISTANT RUMBLING
0:05:05 > 0:05:06You can hear that popping away.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11I'm sitting here pretending that this is all quite cool,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15but, you know, that volcano is erupting as we speak.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Those booms, those noises are...
0:05:19 > 0:05:21What's causing those?
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Each one of those booms
0:05:23 > 0:05:27represents the release of a big bubble or slug of gas
0:05:27 > 0:05:32that's coming up through the magma and blasting its way to the surface.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36Each time a bubble bursts out of that, it's creating that noise.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41So it's a bit like a bubbling pan of custard with a thick skin on top -
0:05:41 > 0:05:42you get those bursts out,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45but it won't necessarily go right over the top.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Yeah. So, this volcano has been more or less
0:05:48 > 0:05:49in this state of eruption
0:05:49 > 0:05:52for 300 years.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53Really?
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Maybe longer, maybe even up to 800.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Most volcanoes have their own personality.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01This one is very fiery and quite violent.
0:06:04 > 0:06:05Hopefully, it behaves itself.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13Yasur's power comes from an enormous cauldron of molten rock
0:06:13 > 0:06:16that lies beneath the island.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19At its most violent, the volcano hurls lava
0:06:19 > 0:06:21right over the edge of its crater
0:06:21 > 0:06:24and smothers Tanna in thick, black ash.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30Let's roll on up.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33I'm joining Shane and Chris
0:06:33 > 0:06:37as they plan to do something they've never attempted before -
0:06:37 > 0:06:39to collect a piece of fresh lava
0:06:39 > 0:06:41straight from the heart of the volcano.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Tomorrow, the work begins in earnest.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Right now, with the light fading,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54there's just enough time for my first close encounter with Yasur.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13Straight up?
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- Head for the light bit of cloud.- OK.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24VOLCANO GROWLS LOUDLY
0:07:24 > 0:07:26That does sound very, very close!
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Oh, my goodness! Am I really... Are you to be trusted?
0:07:30 > 0:07:31Well, we'll get closer...
0:07:31 > 0:07:35- "Trust me, I'm a geologist." Is that what they say?- Yes.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- "Trust me, despite the fact I'm a geologist."- Yeah.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Wow! The smell of sulphur is getting strong.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02VOLCANO GROWLS Oh, my goodness.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08Wow!
0:08:11 > 0:08:13It's like a fantastic firework display!
0:08:16 > 0:08:18- Wait for a big one. - So, this whole...
0:08:18 > 0:08:20VOLCANO BOOMS LOUDLY Oh, my goodness!
0:08:20 > 0:08:22- KATE LAUGHS SHANE:- That's a nice one.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Oh, that's so beautiful...
0:08:26 > 0:08:29..and kind of terrifying at the same time.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31VOLCANO RUMBLES
0:08:35 > 0:08:38'We're standing just 200 metres away.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42'The noise is deafening and, with every explosion,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44'the ground feels like it's about to give way.'
0:08:46 > 0:08:49It's just so elemental, isn't it?
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Just being in the presence of this extraordinary energy.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55And you feel it, don't you?
0:08:55 > 0:08:58It's not just hearing it. You do actually feel it.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Yeah. The big ones are preceded by a shock wave,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03which sometimes you can see and sometimes you can feel.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06The really big explosions, they'll hit you in the chest
0:09:06 > 0:09:07like a physical blow.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10VOLCANO THUNDERS
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Wow!
0:09:12 > 0:09:15'Liquid rock is constantly fired out of the volcano,
0:09:15 > 0:09:20'forming lava bombs travelling at over 300mph.'
0:09:20 > 0:09:23I don't want to sound pathetic, but are we safe here?
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Yeah. Well, everything you see around here
0:09:25 > 0:09:28has been constructed by being thrown out of there.
0:09:29 > 0:09:30Right. Yeah.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Any of these boulders along the ridge behind us
0:09:35 > 0:09:36are all bombs that've been chucked out.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39- So, these have all been thrown out of here?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40But some of them are massive.
0:09:40 > 0:09:41Some of these...
0:09:41 > 0:09:44- The biggest things you can see coming out down there...- Yeah.
0:09:44 > 0:09:45..are probably...
0:09:45 > 0:09:47maybe the size of a small car.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49KATE LAUGHS
0:09:49 > 0:09:52I was going to say, "Should we wear crash helmets or something?"
0:09:52 > 0:09:53But a small car flying out of the sky,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55- it's not really going to help, is it?- Nah.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01To understand what's happening at the very heart of Yasur right now,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Shane and Chris will have to analyse fresh lava.
0:10:04 > 0:10:05DEEP THUDS
0:10:05 > 0:10:07I love the sound when they hit the ground.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08A sort of thud.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15And the only way to get a fresh lava bomb
0:10:15 > 0:10:18is to do something that seems like madness -
0:10:18 > 0:10:20as soon as one is thrown out of the volcano,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22we need to run in and grab it.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25VOLCANO GROWLS
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Shane and Chris can learn a lot about Yasur
0:10:30 > 0:10:32by studying the chemistry of the lava.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35To find out if the volcano is changing,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38they want to compare fresh lava with older samples.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43VOLCANO RUMBLES AND ROARS
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Oh, my goodness!
0:10:45 > 0:10:47It keeps getting better. Look how high they go.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49- Look at that!- Follow that one down.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55So, its a bomb like THAT we need to get our hands on.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03So if a bomb were to come out
0:11:03 > 0:11:06and land conveniently at our feet without damaging anybody,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09that would be your perfect sample?
0:11:09 > 0:11:10I don't want one landing right at our feet -
0:11:10 > 0:11:13that might be a bit scary - but if one lands...
0:11:13 > 0:11:17If there's a really big blast and one comes relatively close
0:11:17 > 0:11:21and we can easily run in and grab it, then that'd be fantastic.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- How hot...?- But I wouldn't want to go all the way down there...
0:11:24 > 0:11:25No. No, no, no.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27VOLCANO ROARS
0:11:27 > 0:11:29To have any chance of pulling this off,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33we'll need to understand the rhythm of this volcano
0:11:33 > 0:11:36and work out exactly how long we've got between eruptions.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- That one went up quite high. See that red one?- Yep.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46That was one of the rims we were considering to stand on.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49- What, just down there?!- Yeah, yeah.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51You're on your own, mate!
0:11:51 > 0:11:53VOLCANO ROARS
0:11:55 > 0:11:59For the next few days, we'll be watching this volcano very closely.
0:12:11 > 0:12:12Next morning,
0:12:12 > 0:12:17we all wake to an enormous plume of gas spiralling out of the volcano.
0:12:17 > 0:12:18COCKEREL CROWS
0:12:18 > 0:12:20PIG GRUNTS
0:12:22 > 0:12:25For the villagers, it's nothing out of the ordinary.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29It looks great. Come on, Chris, get your gear together.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33But, for Shane and Chris, it could offer a fantastic insight
0:12:33 > 0:12:35into what's driving its eruptions.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40I'm leaving them to investigate, and going to find out more
0:12:40 > 0:12:43about what it's like to live in Yasur's shadow.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49There are six languages spoken on the island,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52so linguist Jeremy Hammond is coming with me as translator.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07The volcano is such a dominating presence, that, right across Tanna,
0:13:07 > 0:13:11complex spiritual belief systems have emerged around it.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14And, in spite of Western influence,
0:13:14 > 0:13:19many islanders choose to fiercely protect their traditional beliefs...
0:13:19 > 0:13:21and ways of life.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23RHYTHMIC CHANTING
0:13:29 > 0:13:32In Yaohnanen, members of one spiritual movement
0:13:32 > 0:13:35come together for regular meetings...
0:13:36 > 0:13:37..exchanging food...
0:13:37 > 0:13:39and sharing a meal.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Chief Yappa has invited me to be part of today's ceremony.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Everyone wants to say hello.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09It's partly because I'm British.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Like many of the spiritual movements on Tanna,
0:14:15 > 0:14:19the belief system in this village is known as a "cargo cult".
0:14:19 > 0:14:23It's based around a figurehead - a real or imaginary person
0:14:23 > 0:14:25who, it's believed, will bring prosperity.
0:14:27 > 0:14:3040 years ago, following the royal visit to Vanuatu
0:14:30 > 0:14:32by the Queen and Prince Philip,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35this village adopted a new figurehead -
0:14:35 > 0:14:37the Duke of Edinburgh.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41I'm going to sit with the chief.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44'As an outsider, this seems very strange,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47'so I'm hoping Chief Yappa and his deputy, JJ,
0:14:47 > 0:14:51'can tell me why Prince Philip is so important to them.'
0:14:53 > 0:14:57When did you first become aware of Prince Philip?
0:14:57 > 0:15:01HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:15:01 > 0:15:05Our elders, we've heard from them,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07that Prince Philip is living in England,
0:15:07 > 0:15:08but he's originally from Tanna.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Is there a place that
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Prince Philip's ancestors originated from?
0:15:14 > 0:15:17HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Prince Philip's father...
0:15:24 > 0:15:25..he lives in the mountain...
0:15:25 > 0:15:28HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:15:28 > 0:15:30..but all his wealth...
0:15:31 > 0:15:33- ..is in the volcano. - Is in the volcano.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35'According to their prophecy,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37'Prince Philip emerged from the volcano,
0:15:37 > 0:15:39'then travelled overseas,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42'destined to marry a powerful woman.'
0:15:42 > 0:15:44And why do you think the Queen
0:15:44 > 0:15:47wanted to be married to Prince Philip?
0:15:47 > 0:15:51THEY SPEAK IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:15:52 > 0:15:56The Queen is the head in the West,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58- but Prince Philip is the head here. - Here, in Tanna.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02I suppose the power that the Queen has as the head of the Commonwealth
0:16:02 > 0:16:05that, because the Prince Philip...
0:16:05 > 0:16:09spirit is also of a high ranking power, they're meant to be together.
0:16:10 > 0:16:11So we've brought you...
0:16:14 > 0:16:18This is the latest photograph.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:16:38 > 0:16:39Prince Philip is my heart.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43I love him more than anyone else.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47If you met him...
0:16:48 > 0:16:50..what would you say to him?
0:16:50 > 0:16:53We've seen many pictures of him.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57Why is he not coming in person?
0:16:58 > 0:16:59He's an old man now.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Prince Philip must come back to Tanna...
0:17:10 > 0:17:13to fulfil all the prophecies of Tanna.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17But not his sons, not his grandsons.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- It has to be him.- It has to be him.
0:17:20 > 0:17:21If he doesn't come...
0:17:23 > 0:17:24..before he dies...
0:17:26 > 0:17:28..what will that mean to this village?
0:17:28 > 0:17:32HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:17:34 > 0:17:39HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:17:42 > 0:17:44- He will never die. - He will never die.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47We want to live for ever.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50We don't want to die.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54So that's what we are waiting for Prince Philip to do.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57'Before I came here,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00'I wasn't sure what I would make of the Prince Philip Movement.
0:18:01 > 0:18:02'But, having met Chief Yappa,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06'I can see that his belief, and that of his people,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08'is deep rooted and that Prince Philip
0:18:08 > 0:18:11'is as much a part of their lives as the volcano
0:18:11 > 0:18:14'at the heart of this unlikely spiritual movement.'
0:18:16 > 0:18:18HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Something's just come to light here,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25that my name, Kate,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28in the language spoken in this village,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30means gate
0:18:30 > 0:18:32and, um...
0:18:32 > 0:18:35because Prince William is also married
0:18:35 > 0:18:37to somebody called Kate...
0:18:38 > 0:18:42..the chief thinks that I might be, um...
0:18:42 > 0:18:45a pathway, a connection,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48between Tanna being here
0:18:48 > 0:18:52and between Prince Philip and his family
0:18:52 > 0:18:54through the other Kate or gate.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58I think I might disappoint him.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01I'm not that well connected.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02Sorry.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06CHATTERING
0:19:19 > 0:19:23While I've been learning about an unusual volcano spirit,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Shane and Chris have been investigating the huge plume of gas
0:19:26 > 0:19:29belching out from Yasur.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32There's one ingredient they're particularly interested in.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35The amount of sulphur can help them discover
0:19:35 > 0:19:37if the eruptions might become more violent.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43We use this sulphur to tell a little bit about
0:19:43 > 0:19:46what's going on at the volcano and how much magma there is.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48So, if there's a lot of gas,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50that usually indicates there's a lot of new magma arriving
0:19:50 > 0:19:52and we may be in for larger eruptions.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54As we go along the road, we'll go under the plume.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58Where we've got that little brownish tinge to the cloud there,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00that's sulphur dioxide causing that.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03There, it's just that blue edge now.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05We're just starting to get it nicely.
0:20:05 > 0:20:06And the ash!
0:20:06 > 0:20:08I'm getting a lot of ash on my face,
0:20:08 > 0:20:10so we must be coming under the plume.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Maybe we could just slow down a little bit?
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Thank you.
0:20:16 > 0:20:171,300, 1,400...
0:20:18 > 0:20:21- 1,400. That's pretty good. - That's very high.
0:20:21 > 0:20:22That's quite a lot of gas.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27It's plateauing at about 1,400.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28Oh, no, it's gone over 1,500 now.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Rising gas levels are a sign that the volcano could be changing.
0:20:38 > 0:20:39I think we'll be looking at...
0:20:41 > 0:20:44..between 1,500 and 2,000 tonnes of sulphur per day.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50It's much higher than it's been recorded in the past.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53It's been around 700 tonnes per day.
0:20:55 > 0:20:56It's pretty gassy up there.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Shane and Chris will keep monitoring the sulphur levels
0:21:02 > 0:21:03until we leave the island.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Vanuatu's volcanic islands are so young,
0:21:15 > 0:21:19the first people only arrived around 3,500 years ago.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24PIG GRUNTS Hello, pig.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27'Back in Yaohnanen, I've been meeting some of the animals
0:21:27 > 0:21:30'that were brought here by those early settlers.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39'All over Vanuatu, pigs are a sign of wealth and status.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43'I've got a few pigs back home,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46'but not the right kind to make me a wealthy woman here.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52'Because there's one very special pig that commands ultimate respect.'
0:21:55 > 0:21:58- This is the pig. - Oh, wow!- It's got no hair.
0:21:58 > 0:21:59It looks like a hippopotamus.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04My goodness!
0:22:04 > 0:22:06IT GRUNTS
0:22:06 > 0:22:08It sounds like a dog.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10IT GRUNTS That's extraordinary.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Hello, pig. IT GRUNTS
0:22:15 > 0:22:17See, I've heard about these pigs.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21They're completely hairless,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24and I think... Are they unique to Tanna?
0:22:24 > 0:22:27- Nowhere else in the world? - Nowhere else.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Kapia pigs have a very interesting history.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38Legend has it they're the Creator's first attempt at making humans.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Now they're so rare and valuable,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46they are only traded or eaten by the highest-ranking chiefs.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50It's more like a human in its smooth skin,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53so, like a human, it has rights...
0:22:53 > 0:22:54Oh, OK.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56..and belongs to a much higher rank.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58It doesn't live with the other pigs.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00On special occasions,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04these pigs are treated very much as if they were people.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12So what's the significance of the painting?
0:23:12 > 0:23:14The painting is something that's usually restricted to people,
0:23:14 > 0:23:18so during custom ceremonies, dances, singing,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20people will paint their faces using different colours.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24And because this pig is hairless and is anthropomorphised,
0:23:24 > 0:23:28- it, too, can have face paint. Whereas regular pigs can't.- Right.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32While the men prepare the Kapia pig,
0:23:32 > 0:23:34the women are also getting ready -
0:23:34 > 0:23:37using paints mixed with plant dyes
0:23:37 > 0:23:39and powdered rock from the volcano.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44They're preparing for a ceremonial dance,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46which connects Tanna to England,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49so they want ME to be part of it.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52The women of the village...
0:23:52 > 0:23:56have told John here that I don't look right...
0:23:57 > 0:24:00..and so there's all sorts of plans and giggling afoot,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03going on in this building here.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05And I suspect...
0:24:05 > 0:24:08that I might emerge dressed somewhat differently.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12What's going to happen to me? What are you going to do?
0:24:12 > 0:24:13SHE LAUGHS
0:24:15 > 0:24:16Oh, my goodness.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Suzanne's volunteered to get me ready
0:24:20 > 0:24:24in a house that's reserved for women.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26SHE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:24:28 > 0:24:33It seems women and men exist quite separately in the village.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38In our custom in Tanna, men do the talking while women sit and listen,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41but it doesn't mean that they are not important.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42But when it comes to ceremonies,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45that's when you can see the power of our ladies.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47That's when they are dressed up.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50So we treat women as they are the queens.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Now they are painting your face...
0:24:52 > 0:24:54- Like the pig?- Like the pig, yeah.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Sorry.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Do you think I'm behaving better than the pig?
0:24:58 > 0:25:00HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:25:00 > 0:25:02THEY ALL LAUGH
0:25:08 > 0:25:10- We'll dress you up in the grass skirt.- OK.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14That's beautiful.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Is it OK? What do you think? Yeah?
0:25:21 > 0:25:23And now you will wear the top.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Grass top.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27I feel I'm cheating with a T-shirt on.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29That's all right.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30Is that OK?
0:25:30 > 0:25:32It's probably better all round, I suspect.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38RHYTHMIC CHANTING
0:25:39 > 0:25:40Look at us!
0:25:40 > 0:25:42SHE LAUGHS
0:25:42 > 0:25:43Come on, then!
0:25:44 > 0:25:49'In 2006, Vanuatu was named the happiest nation on Earth.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51'A slightly arbitrary concept,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53'but it is indisputable
0:25:53 > 0:25:57'that everyone here has a strong sense of identity
0:25:57 > 0:26:01'and a real pride in preserving their custom and culture.'
0:26:01 > 0:26:03MEN SING
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Am I doing it OK?
0:26:06 > 0:26:11WOMEN SING
0:26:14 > 0:26:17The sound, the dust, the energy of the dance
0:26:17 > 0:26:20are completely hypnotic.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22And what's so special
0:26:22 > 0:26:25is the feeling of pure, unadulterated joy.
0:26:26 > 0:26:31MEN SING
0:26:31 > 0:26:36WOMEN SING
0:26:38 > 0:26:42This feels so authentic...
0:26:43 > 0:26:45..and I'm probably going to look at myself
0:26:45 > 0:26:47and realise I look completely ridiculous,
0:26:47 > 0:26:49but, at this point, I actually don't care.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52I feel so welcome here...
0:26:53 > 0:26:55..and this is just...
0:26:57 > 0:26:58It's just so wonderful...
0:27:00 > 0:27:02..to see a culture that's so intact.
0:27:07 > 0:27:12And the fact that Prince Philip is so central to their beliefs...
0:27:15 > 0:27:17..seems, at first...
0:27:18 > 0:27:19..utterly bonkers...
0:27:21 > 0:27:23..but that belief is unshakeable...
0:27:26 > 0:27:28..so you have to respect it.
0:27:30 > 0:27:31Hee-hee!
0:27:50 > 0:27:53VOLCANO RUMBLES
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Spending time in Yaohnanen
0:27:58 > 0:28:02has made me appreciate why so many people here
0:28:02 > 0:28:05want to keep their ancient beliefs alive.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09But the rising sulphur levels Shane and Chris have found
0:28:09 > 0:28:13are a worrying sign that Yasur's mood might be changing.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21So, this afternoon, we're heading back up the volcano
0:28:21 > 0:28:23to try and gather more clues.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35All around us, there are huge lava bombs,
0:28:35 > 0:28:37but we're after a fresh one.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46God, it looks so different in the daytime.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Today, Shane's brought a bit of kit
0:28:50 > 0:28:54he hopes will let us see right into the heart of Yasur.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57How high do you want it?
0:28:57 > 0:28:59That out full...
0:28:59 > 0:29:01VOLCANO GROWLS
0:29:01 > 0:29:03- That's a goodie. - Oh, my goodness.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08This looks a little bit like it's come from a Buck Rogers movie.
0:29:08 > 0:29:09It does.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12It looks very simplistic, but I suspect it's not.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14It's not a camera, like taking photograph camera,
0:29:14 > 0:29:17it's capturing radiant heat.
0:29:17 > 0:29:18The good thing about it is
0:29:18 > 0:29:20even though you've got all this gas over the front,
0:29:20 > 0:29:22this will look straight through it.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24- And, actually, you see incredible definition, don't you?- Yep.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27VOLCANO RUMBLES
0:29:29 > 0:29:34Every single volcano on the planet behaves differently.
0:29:34 > 0:29:35VOLCANO EXPLODES
0:29:37 > 0:29:39Every volcano has a particular chemistry.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41The chemistry of the lava that comes out
0:29:41 > 0:29:43is influenced by a variety of processes
0:29:43 > 0:29:46that occur under the ground. We can't go in and see it,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49so it's kind of like a forensic person going into a crime scene
0:29:49 > 0:29:52and then trying to reconstruct what's been happening.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56The best clue we can get about what's happening now
0:29:56 > 0:29:59and how this volcano might behave in the future
0:29:59 > 0:30:02is going to come from one of THESE fresh pieces of lava.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08You can see that the back one's chucking out...
0:30:08 > 0:30:11Yeah, it's quite big. You can see the lava bombs really clearly on here.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13You can barely see them from here.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20Now, we have to figure out how to collect a lava bomb
0:30:20 > 0:30:22without putting ourselves in danger.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26To give us our best chance,
0:30:26 > 0:30:29we're going to record the volcano,
0:30:29 > 0:30:31looking for a pattern in its eruptions.
0:30:33 > 0:30:34Come on, baby.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39In terms of waiting to try and collect a sample,
0:30:39 > 0:30:42it's really important to understand what the volcano's doing
0:30:42 > 0:30:44and exactly how it's behaving.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47The timing between different blasts are very important
0:30:47 > 0:30:50for building up the courage to run down there.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53- It gives you a bit more... - KATE LAUGHS
0:30:53 > 0:30:54..of a sense of safety.
0:30:56 > 0:30:57Come on.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02VOLCANO EXPLODES Whoa! There you go!
0:31:02 > 0:31:04Hee-hee-hee-hee.
0:31:04 > 0:31:05- Did you get it?- Yep, yep.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08The camera also helps us pinpoint
0:31:08 > 0:31:10where the lava bombs are landing.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15It does still seem madness to run down to the edge there
0:31:15 > 0:31:18and collect a piece of molten rock.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20If this thing fires up a bit more
0:31:20 > 0:31:23and throws something out onto that terrace there,
0:31:23 > 0:31:25we can get in and out quite quickly.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27That nearly landed on the ledge.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31Despite watching for hours,
0:31:31 > 0:31:34not a single bomb has fallen on the ledge beneath us -
0:31:34 > 0:31:36close enough to reach.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40Unless things change, all our efforts will come to nothing.
0:31:41 > 0:31:42Not quite.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45- One almost made it. - Ah, almost made it.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57We're hoping our results will provide a warning
0:31:57 > 0:32:00for islanders living close to the volcano,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03if it looks like bigger eruptions are on their way.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06When that happened a year ago,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09their villages were showered in ash for weeks on end.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12Their crops were ruined,
0:32:12 > 0:32:14and livestock died.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23This is a beautiful garden, Numaline.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28But when the ashes come, doesn't it just destroy your whole garden?
0:32:29 > 0:32:35Yes, sometimes when it comes where the plants are beginning to grow
0:32:35 > 0:32:36and they are not strong yet,
0:32:36 > 0:32:41then the volcano ashes just wipe the whole thing out.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45Some of the crops local horticulturalist Numaline grows
0:32:45 > 0:32:46cope better with the ash -
0:32:46 > 0:32:49like taro, a starchy root vegetable
0:32:49 > 0:32:51that's a staple here.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53With this taro here,
0:32:53 > 0:32:55when the ashes fall into the leaf,
0:32:55 > 0:32:58it just slides away and leaves the leaf.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01So this is a really good crop to grow
0:33:01 > 0:33:05- if you know you're going to be affected by the ash a lot.- Yep.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07This year, it has been very kind to us.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10We are in a hurry to plant everything,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13because we know that it will come back,
0:33:13 > 0:33:14but we don't know when.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19Ironically, the ash brings benefits, too -
0:33:19 > 0:33:21a soil full of minerals.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27You can see the soil is so rich and dark, isn't it?
0:33:29 > 0:33:33'Numaline is part of an expanding movement on the island,
0:33:33 > 0:33:37'led by women, to preserve the traditional way of growing crops.'
0:33:38 > 0:33:40This is how we plant this taro.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43Is this one that you've eaten?
0:33:43 > 0:33:45Yeah, we've cut off the top.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48This is for planting. We eat the bottom part.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50So, if you plant this, the root will come again?
0:33:50 > 0:33:53- Yes, it will grow like this. - That's amazing!
0:33:53 > 0:33:55This is how you plant it.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58- So very deep.- A bit.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00I'm very jealous of your soil.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Just press it...
0:34:02 > 0:34:04Around it.
0:34:05 > 0:34:10Numaline's garden provides her family with almost all the food they need.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16This is Lap Lap,
0:34:16 > 0:34:18a sort of steamed pudding of vegetables
0:34:18 > 0:34:23that have been wrapped in leaves and baked underground between hot stones.
0:34:27 > 0:34:28Take your share.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Thank you very much.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37Smells delicious.
0:34:37 > 0:34:43- Can I take a bit of this?- Yes. - Do I just take with my fingers?- Yep.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Carrot...
0:34:45 > 0:34:47- Chicken?- Just a small piece, yeah.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Thank you.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51That's lovely. Thank you, Numaline.
0:34:51 > 0:34:52Proper island feast.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57- Does it taste nice?- Very, very nice.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00So with the banana...
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Mmm, that taro's good.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06Oh. Is it you or is it the volcanic soil, or is it both?
0:35:06 > 0:35:08- Both. - KATE LAUGHS
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Touching it with respect,
0:35:12 > 0:35:16it gives you nice flavour.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20It's Numaline's understanding of the volcano,
0:35:20 > 0:35:23its behaviour and how to farm alongside it
0:35:23 > 0:35:26that allows her to live in such harmony with it.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43But for us to try and understand what Yasur might do next,
0:35:43 > 0:35:46we need to know more about its volatile past.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Something that happened at the foot of this volcano
0:35:50 > 0:35:54has given Chris and Shane a chance to see back in time.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02This whole area was once covered by a vast lake.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05But, in April 2000, a massive cyclone struck
0:36:05 > 0:36:08and Lake Siwi broke its banks.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12Picture us underwater, three or four metres above us.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17We're walking on what was once the floor of the lake,
0:36:17 > 0:36:21following the route that the water took as it gushed out to sea.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24In just a couple of hours,
0:36:24 > 0:36:27a lake two miles wide had vanished.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33- This is a good spot to start off with.- OK.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36So the best thing to do is take a spade
0:36:36 > 0:36:40and actually dig away a little bit at the cliff face.
0:36:41 > 0:36:46The drained lake reveals layers and layers of perfectly preserved ash -
0:36:46 > 0:36:49a unique record of Yasur's history.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51Oh, wow!
0:36:51 > 0:36:55- It's like the most perfect layer cake, isn't it?- Exactly.
0:36:55 > 0:36:56So each of these little layers
0:36:56 > 0:37:01represents a variation in the size
0:37:01 > 0:37:03of the material that's coming out of the volcano
0:37:03 > 0:37:05and that represents a variation
0:37:05 > 0:37:08in the magnitude or the violence of the eruption.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12So this can give you a real record of how this volcano's been behaving
0:37:12 > 0:37:14- over decades, if not centuries. - Yeah.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17So probably 300 to 400 years, at least.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Chris and Shane will analyse ash samples.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25The size of the grains can tell them
0:37:25 > 0:37:29how violently the volcano has erupted in the past.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33So the cliffs get much bigger up here,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35because we're moving into older material.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42So the stuff you've sieved out here, Chris...
0:37:44 > 0:37:47..this is what you would get in what sort of style of eruption
0:37:47 > 0:37:49or what sort of conditions?
0:37:49 > 0:37:50This is fairly fine,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53so these would have come from the more violent style of eruption.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56It's producing very fine-grained material.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00So, when we've been up at the top and we've seen the big...
0:38:01 > 0:38:06..particularly noisy eruption with lots and lots of ash coming up,
0:38:06 > 0:38:08- that would be one of those ones.- Yep.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12And, clearly, that looks pretty uniform.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15Is there any indication this is actually a volcano
0:38:15 > 0:38:18that may be in a constant state of eruption, but it's pretty stable?
0:38:18 > 0:38:21It's always the same style of eruption,
0:38:21 > 0:38:23but it cycles in intensity
0:38:23 > 0:38:25between more and less violent eruptions.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30The layers of ash show that the volcano has been
0:38:30 > 0:38:34in a gentle cycle of eruption for over 700 years.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39And everyone's hoping it's going to stay that way.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47We're travelling the full length of the canyon
0:38:47 > 0:38:52carved out by the water as Lake Siwi drained into the ocean.
0:38:55 > 0:39:00In Sulphur Bay, people make the most of living alongside the volcano,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03bathing in warm pools heated by the magma
0:39:03 > 0:39:06churning away deep beneath the ground.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13Here, Shane has discovered a clue to something even further back
0:39:13 > 0:39:15in Yasur's past.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19It reveals a terrifying secret.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24There's evidence of an ancient eruption
0:39:24 > 0:39:27so ferocious it made a massive caldera,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30a crater five miles in diameter,
0:39:30 > 0:39:33and created this 50-metre-high cliff.
0:39:35 > 0:39:40So this big red cliff is kind of like the surprise of the story.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44That is the start of the modern caldera
0:39:44 > 0:39:49and the deposits of that eruption go from that white/orange layer,
0:39:49 > 0:39:53where Chris is standing now, up to as far as you can see.
0:39:53 > 0:39:54- All the way up there?- Yeah.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57It was probably emplaced in a matter of a day or two.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00This is a truly cataclysmic eruption.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04Well and truly bigger than a Mount St Helens-style eruption.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06It's kind of the most violent volcanic process
0:40:06 > 0:40:08that you'd ever find on Earth.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12Once you've had an eruption like this,
0:40:12 > 0:40:14could it happen again in the future?
0:40:14 > 0:40:17Well, we've got evidence of two of these
0:40:17 > 0:40:19caldera-forming eruptions here,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22so there's every chance that something like this
0:40:22 > 0:40:24could happen again at this caldera.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27So, if an eruption of this size occurred today,
0:40:27 > 0:40:29no-one would survive on this island.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42The rocks Chris is collecting were thrown out of the volcano
0:40:42 > 0:40:47during these two cataclysmic eruptions around 40,000 years ago.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53He's measuring how much of the element zirconium there is
0:40:53 > 0:40:57to discover more about the chemistry of this ancient lava.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59MACHINE BEEPS
0:41:01 > 0:41:06Chris needs to compare these ancient samples to fresh lava.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10If the amount of zirconium is similar, it could be a sign
0:41:10 > 0:41:15that Yasur is preparing for another huge eruption.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24It's our last night on Tanna,
0:41:24 > 0:41:26our final chance to collect a lava bomb.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32But, before we can do that, Jeremy's taking me inland
0:41:32 > 0:41:33to the village of Lamakara.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39I want to know how scientific research on the volcano
0:41:39 > 0:41:42sits with the islanders' own beliefs.
0:41:43 > 0:41:44So we're going to meet someone
0:41:44 > 0:41:48who has a very special relationship with Yasur.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54BIRDSONG
0:41:59 > 0:42:03As soon as we arrive, we're led away to a small house
0:42:03 > 0:42:04on the edge of the village.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09Inside is Kaolaka,
0:42:09 > 0:42:12an ietem asim or "sacred man".
0:42:12 > 0:42:16He's considered to be the guardian of the volcano's powers.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24The connection you now have with the volcano,
0:42:24 > 0:42:29is that something that was passed from your grandfather
0:42:29 > 0:42:30to your father to you?
0:42:30 > 0:42:35THEY SPEAK IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:42:35 > 0:42:37So...
0:42:37 > 0:42:39HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:42:39 > 0:42:41So the spirit gave it to his grandfather,
0:42:41 > 0:42:44and then afterwards the spirit gave it to his father.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:42:46 > 0:42:48And now the spirit has given it to him.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:42:50 > 0:42:53And he was sleeping and it came to him as a vision.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:42:55 > 0:42:58So the volcano teaches him everything.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02People are gathering to hear what Kaolaka has to say.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05He's their link to the spirit of Fire Mountain.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10When there's a threat from the volcano,
0:43:10 > 0:43:15is there any way you can communicate with it to stop an eruption?
0:43:15 > 0:43:17HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:43:17 > 0:43:22So, when the volcano is violently active,
0:43:22 > 0:43:25then the nakamals around the region will come to him,
0:43:25 > 0:43:28and then go speak to the volcano to help it die down.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:43:31 > 0:43:34So, at these times, it was erupting quite a lot,
0:43:34 > 0:43:37so he went and talked to it and it calmed down.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40I'm here with two scientists, geologists.
0:43:40 > 0:43:45How do you feel about people who take rocks
0:43:45 > 0:43:48to try and understand the behaviour of the volcano?
0:43:48 > 0:43:54HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:43:54 > 0:43:57It's not a problem to come and take photos of the volcano,
0:43:57 > 0:43:58to take the actual stones...
0:43:58 > 0:44:00HE SPEAKS IN WHITESANDS LANGUAGE
0:44:00 > 0:44:02..because they don't get their power from the volcano
0:44:02 > 0:44:04the same way that he does.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07So, with Kaolaka's blessing,
0:44:07 > 0:44:11the only thing that can stop us collecting a lava bomb now
0:44:11 > 0:44:12is the volcano itself.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24If we can get one, a lava bomb will be the vital clue we need
0:44:24 > 0:44:28to tell us whether the volcano is still stable
0:44:28 > 0:44:30or if it's becoming more active.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42Shane and Chris have spent every hour they can monitoring Yasur...
0:44:43 > 0:44:46..working out how long they've got between eruptions
0:44:46 > 0:44:49to run in, grab a bomb, and get out.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00Hey!
0:45:00 > 0:45:02- How are you doing? - Well, we've had a pretty good day.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05From what you've been watching,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08do you think it's even feasible
0:45:08 > 0:45:11to get a bomb today?
0:45:11 > 0:45:12It's looking promising.
0:45:12 > 0:45:16We've had about five explosions that have brought bombs on to this.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19- VOLCANO ROARS AND GRUMBLES - Just look up.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21- Keep watching the highest... - Yep, yep.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24- That's going vertically, as well. - Yeah.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26- Look at that one.- Whoa!
0:45:28 > 0:45:31That's the sort of thing that happens when you get way more gas.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33Quite nice big bombs in there.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37- Yeah, there are some going really high.- Watch this one.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41- It won't go wide enough, though. - That was three different plumes.
0:45:41 > 0:45:47So what we're waiting for is one, probably out of this crater here,
0:45:47 > 0:45:52to throw the bombs a little bit more widely onto this lower ridge here.
0:45:52 > 0:45:53- Down here?- Yep.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57So, Chris, what's going to be our strategy here,
0:45:57 > 0:46:00because, obviously, we're not all going down
0:46:00 > 0:46:01and collect this bomb.
0:46:01 > 0:46:06Yeah, it's stupid to send any more people down there than need to go.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09So Shane's volunteered to run down.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11He's fitter than the rest of us, maybe.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13Or stupider.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16So he's going to run down, we're going to stay up here
0:46:16 > 0:46:19on the thermal camera. So I'll be able to pick up Shane on the camera
0:46:19 > 0:46:22and pick up where the bomb is.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25Is this ridiculously dangerous to be doing?
0:46:25 > 0:46:26I wouldn't be running down there
0:46:26 > 0:46:30if I wasn't sure that I could do it with the right timing.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34I'm not particularly looking forward
0:46:34 > 0:46:36- to actually going over that rim, though.- No.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48We've calculated that Shane will only have around two minutes
0:46:48 > 0:46:52to run in and out between explosions.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55VOLCANO EXPLODES VIOLENTLY
0:46:55 > 0:46:56Oh, wow!
0:46:57 > 0:46:59Houston, we have a bomb.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02To have a chance of doing this safely,
0:47:02 > 0:47:06we need Yasur to throw a bomb to exactly the right spot
0:47:06 > 0:47:08on the shelf 30 metres below us.
0:47:12 > 0:47:14- Oh, there's one!- Yeah, there's one!
0:47:16 > 0:47:18Let me zoom in on it. There we go. Look at that!
0:47:18 > 0:47:21619, 630 degrees.
0:47:21 > 0:47:22Wow!
0:47:22 > 0:47:26Do you think that's six... Yeah, 602, 594...
0:47:26 > 0:47:30What do you think, Shane? It's quite close to the edge.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32Yeah. It is quite close to the edge.
0:47:32 > 0:47:34We'll just pan around and see if there's any others.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38There are bombs landing everywhere, except where we need one.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41- There's another one over there. - That's too far though, surely?
0:47:41 > 0:47:44- There's another one down there, too. - But those are all too far.- Yeah.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47VOLCANO EXPLODES Oh, look, look, look! There's loads.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53Do you think that one is get-at-able?
0:47:53 > 0:47:56It's kind of looking like it's sticking out of the...
0:47:56 > 0:47:58Yes, sticking up almost like a shark's fin.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01Yes, just on the realm of possibility.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06The bomb shaped like a shark's fin
0:48:06 > 0:48:08is just too close to the edge.
0:48:09 > 0:48:13There's nothing we can do but wait for one to land in the right place.
0:48:16 > 0:48:17Oh, there's another goodie.
0:48:17 > 0:48:19Hang on, let's watch that.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22LAVA BOMBS THUD
0:48:22 > 0:48:25I think the thing that makes this even more terrifying
0:48:25 > 0:48:27is anyone who's watched any war movies.
0:48:27 > 0:48:30That "Thwap, thwap, thwap" of the bombs landing
0:48:30 > 0:48:34- sounds exactly like a battlefield. - Mm.
0:48:34 > 0:48:35VOLCANO EXPLODES
0:48:35 > 0:48:37- My God, that's huge! - Just keep your eyes on it.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39Keeping an eye on it.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46We've been watching for a pattern in the eruptions for days,
0:48:46 > 0:48:49but, tonight, Yasur seems incredibly unpredictable.
0:48:53 > 0:48:54- I've obviously made it angry.- Yeah.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01Now, there are bombs flying everywhere.
0:49:07 > 0:49:11We didn't think we were going to be able to get any lava bombs yesterday,
0:49:11 > 0:49:14because they never seemed to be falling on this shelf.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17Now every single eruption that's happened since we've been here,
0:49:17 > 0:49:19they are all falling on this shelf.
0:49:27 > 0:49:28We're losing the sun.
0:49:28 > 0:49:30If we don't find a bomb soon,
0:49:30 > 0:49:33it's going to be too dark for Shane to see where he's running.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45There is one lava bomb -
0:49:45 > 0:49:47I'm just monitoring it here.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50It's fallen just in front,
0:49:50 > 0:49:53it looks like where Shane is planning to run in.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58It looks like it's in the right place.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02It looks perfect, actually. That's the one.
0:50:03 > 0:50:07It's the ideal size for Shane to be able to run in and grab.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10When I get close, you'll just have to...
0:50:10 > 0:50:13left, right, too fast, too slow, backwards, forwards.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16I'm not very good at left and right - I get them mixed up.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18That's why Kate's on the radio.
0:50:18 > 0:50:19THEY ALL LAUGH
0:50:19 > 0:50:21Thanks(!)
0:50:24 > 0:50:25The moment has arrived.
0:50:28 > 0:50:30Check radio, check radio. RADIO BLEEPS
0:50:30 > 0:50:32- Hello, hello. - RADIO BLEEPS
0:50:33 > 0:50:35Torches on.
0:50:35 > 0:50:36OK, are you ready?
0:50:37 > 0:50:39All right, good luck.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43Yasur has gone eerily quiet.
0:50:46 > 0:50:47Take care.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54Shane needs to wait for the next big eruption,
0:50:54 > 0:50:56then it'll be time to go.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06VOLCANO EXPLODES AND GROWLS
0:51:06 > 0:51:08Just watch the sky.
0:51:09 > 0:51:10That one's going really high.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18HEAVY THUDS Whoa! My goodness.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22OK, Shane, what do you think?
0:51:24 > 0:51:26I'm about ready to go in.
0:51:27 > 0:51:32OK, we'll pick you up on the camera as soon as you come off the ridge.
0:51:32 > 0:51:33Righto.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37After that big blast, the clock is ticking.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41It could be just two minutes before the next explosion.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46Got him? Oh, yeah. OK, got him.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50OK, Shane, keep heading on that trajectory.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54Turn right now, Shane. Right now.
0:51:56 > 0:52:00Head straight towards the edge of the rim.
0:52:02 > 0:52:03KATE ON RADIO: Head straight there.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06You're about on it, you're about on it.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10Can't see it, can't see it.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12Shane can't spot our fresh bomb
0:52:12 > 0:52:14amongst the older ones.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16And then it gets worse...
0:52:19 > 0:52:22Shane, we can't pick you up on the thermal camera.
0:52:23 > 0:52:24We can't see you any more.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33I'm just going up to that shark one.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39Shane's now completely on his own and heading for the shark fin bomb.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45Have you got it, Shane?
0:52:46 > 0:52:48Got it.
0:52:48 > 0:52:49Be quick, Shane.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52'It's already been over two minutes.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55'The next explosion could be any second.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00'And the bomb is far too big to carry.'
0:53:04 > 0:53:06My heart is in my mouth.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12'Shane's managed to break a piece off, but he's still got to get out.'
0:53:12 > 0:53:14OK, Shane, are you coming out?
0:53:15 > 0:53:17- HE WHISPERS:- Ouch!
0:53:20 > 0:53:22KATE ON RADIO: Come on, Shane.
0:53:32 > 0:53:33You feel so exposed...
0:53:34 > 0:53:37..almost like you're buried inside the thing.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39VOLCANO EXPLODES
0:53:39 > 0:53:41Oh, there's another one.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46Oh, my goodness! Two of them.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50I'm glad you weren't down there when that was happening.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52- Let's have a look.- I feel like I've had about ten cups of coffee!
0:53:52 > 0:53:55You can hear the adrenaline in your voice.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57Wow! Look at that.
0:53:57 > 0:53:58Is it still...?
0:53:59 > 0:54:01Still a little bit of warmth in it.
0:54:01 > 0:54:02In the middle, especially.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04Here, look at the middle - it's just amazing.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06Oh, my goodness, look at that!
0:54:07 > 0:54:09Oh, that's incredible!
0:54:11 > 0:54:14It was much, much bigger than I thought when I got down there.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17It looked like you had to hack at it for a while.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20Well done. That is amazing.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22And it is so beautiful.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25There is just something magical
0:54:25 > 0:54:28about the fact that we saw that
0:54:28 > 0:54:32as a molten piece of rock
0:54:32 > 0:54:35being ejected from that crater,
0:54:35 > 0:54:38landing with that wonderful "thwap", and here it is.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45- Geology's quite cool sometimes. - Yeah, it's quite fun sometimes.
0:54:45 > 0:54:46THEY LAUGH
0:54:46 > 0:54:47'We've done it.'
0:54:47 > 0:54:49EXPLOSION
0:54:49 > 0:54:50'Just in time.'
0:54:52 > 0:54:55VOLCANO ROARS Whoa, my goodness!
0:54:57 > 0:55:00Quite glad you weren't down there when that was happening.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02VOLCANO EXPLODES AND RUMBLES
0:55:20 > 0:55:22Since I've been on the island,
0:55:22 > 0:55:25I've seen how the past and future of the people
0:55:25 > 0:55:28are intertwined with that of the volcano.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31And we've done everything we can to understand
0:55:31 > 0:55:33Yasur's extraordinary power.
0:55:34 > 0:55:361,300, 1,400...
0:55:37 > 0:55:39We've seen the amount of gas double -
0:55:39 > 0:55:43a warning to the islanders of bigger explosions in the coming months.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48And while these won't be as devastating
0:55:48 > 0:55:51as the mega eruptions 40,000 years ago,
0:55:51 > 0:55:54another could happen someday.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58The system is very much alive
0:55:58 > 0:56:00and the potential for these cataclysmic eruptions
0:56:00 > 0:56:02is also quite high, I would say.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08But can science reveal how high?
0:56:08 > 0:56:11To find that out, Chris needs to compare the readings he took
0:56:11 > 0:56:14from the ancient cataclysmic eruptions
0:56:14 > 0:56:16to our fresh lava bomb.
0:56:20 > 0:56:22- Have you got the reading? - It's all finished now.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24Can I move round and have a look?
0:56:27 > 0:56:32You can see the zirconium reading is 114 parts per million.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35It's certainly not nearly as high as the lava sample
0:56:35 > 0:56:37that we analysed down at Sulphur Bay the other day,
0:56:37 > 0:56:39so I don't think there's any cause for alarm.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43It's not suggesting that there's been any vast changes to the system.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48Shane and Chris will keep monitoring Yasur.
0:56:49 > 0:56:53But, for the time being at least, the people of Tanna can rest assured
0:56:53 > 0:56:58that it looks set to continue its constant but stable cycle.
0:56:59 > 0:57:01Just as it has done for centuries.
0:57:10 > 0:57:13Captain Cook was never allowed to climb this volcano.
0:57:16 > 0:57:20It's astonishing to think that the behaviour
0:57:20 > 0:57:24that I'm witnessing 250 years later
0:57:24 > 0:57:29is not much changed from what he would have seen from his ship.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31But, as Shane and Chris are discovering,
0:57:31 > 0:57:35there are many changes that are happening on this island
0:57:35 > 0:57:40and the forces that created this volcano, created the island itself,
0:57:40 > 0:57:43are still very much at work.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46And as for the people who live in its shadow...
0:57:46 > 0:57:48Well, it will always play a pivotal role,
0:57:48 > 0:57:51sometimes benevolent, sometimes destructive,
0:57:51 > 0:57:55but always intrinsic to their lives and their custom.
0:58:04 > 0:58:05'Next time...'
0:58:05 > 0:58:07Oh, my God!
0:58:08 > 0:58:11'..we'll be exploring a very different volcano...
0:58:13 > 0:58:15'..descending deep into the crater
0:58:15 > 0:58:18'of one of only five lava lakes in the world...'
0:58:18 > 0:58:20My heart's racing.
0:58:20 > 0:58:23'..and revealing how this bubbling cauldron of molten rock
0:58:23 > 0:58:26'affects the people who live in a place
0:58:26 > 0:58:29'shrouded in mystery and magic.'