Skip to content

Home Movies TV Shows Anime My List

A cinematic home for movies, television, and anime — built for discovery, watching, and picking up where you left off.

Your list and viewing activity are saved locally on this device unless account features are introduced in the future.

Explore

Movies TV Shows Anime Search

Legal

Terms of Use Privacy Policy

© 2026 ORYVE. All rights reserved.

Availability, artwork, descriptions, ratings, and playback may vary by title, location, device, or service conditions.

Volcano Stories | ORYVE

ORYVE presentation

Volcano Stories

0.02019Returning Series2 seasons

Documentary

No two volcanoes are alike; each one has its own distinctive landscape, climate, and geological context. Just as unique are the people we meet along the way who help us comprehend how greatly our planet – and our lives – have been shaped by volcanic phenomena. For the scientific aspect of each episode, we explore the very diverse range of questions raised by volcanic phenomena in such varied fields as earth sciences, climatology, biodiversity, oceanography, geography, agronomics, and archaeology. The cultural part of the show delves into mythology, religion, philosophy, folk and artistic traditions, cooking, and ways of life.

About the series

No two volcanoes are alike; each one has its own distinctive landscape, climate, and geological context. Just as unique are the people we meet along the way who help us comprehend how greatly our planet – and our lives – have been shaped by volcanic phenomena. For the scientific aspect of each episode, we explore the very diverse range of questions raised by volcanic phenomena in such varied fields as earth sciences, climatology, biodiversity, oceanography, geography, agronomics, and archaeology. The cultural part of the show delves into mythology, religion, philosophy, folk and artistic traditions, cooking, and ways of life.

Created by: Arnaud Guérin
Network: ARTE
Episodes: 35

Choose your chapter

Episodes

Season

Episode 1

Etna: The Mountain Mountain

2019-03-18

26 min

Mount Etna is the highest and most active volcano in Europe. It erupts once or twice a year, threatening the 900,000 people who live nearby. Despite this, every year, in February, Catania becomes the centre of one of the most important Christian pilgrimages in the world. With great ardor, half a million Sicilians congregate and pray to Santa Agata, the protector of the city. They prey for her protection against the wrath of the fiery giant. For noting in the world, would they ever leave this volcanic land, a land of milk and honey where you can find the best oranges in the world.

Episode 2

Bromo - The Sacred Volcano of Java

2019-03-19 26 min

In Indonesia, the local inhabitants worship the Bromo Volcano. Every year, during the full moon, a procession with torchlights makes its way towards the smoking crater. It is the Kesodo celebration. In the middle of a gigantic sea of volcanic dust, thousands of pilgrims make offerings to the crater which is considered as an incarnation of a Hindu god. Fruits, vegetables, chickens ... women and men give back to the volcano some of what it gave them. They pray for the volcano to grant them life rather than death.

Episode 3

Tanzania - A Volcano on Maasai Territory

2019-03-20 26 min

Tanzania’s Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano is unique in the world : its liquid black lava turns snow white when it cools down. Our distant ancestors left some footprints which were petrified by the volcano 20,000 years ago... Mathieu Kervyn, a volcanologist at the University of Brussels, is one of the rare specialists of this particular volcano. It has not been studied much due to its difficult accessibility. After a perilous climb, Mathieu reaches the magnificent crater in order to draw a map. At the foot of the volcano, on the shores of Lake Natron, the Maasaï people worship the God who sleeps in its smoking crater: the great Engai.

Episode 4

Westman Islands - The Volcanic Guardians of Iceland

2019-03-21 26 min

Lost in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Westman Islands located off the coast of Iceland seem to be on guard duty. In this isolated archipelago, men and women of strong character have learned to live with this intense Icelandic volcanic activity, sometimes risking their lives ... In 1973, the inhabitants of Heimaey had to be evacuated when a powerful eruption destroyed half of the city. Gerture had to abandon her house. She reminisces with emotion ... To access these steep islands, the islanders have adapted with tremendous ingenuity, using a zip line to hoist their sheep from a frail boat onto the green volcanic island. Further away, Surtsey Island emerged from the waves only 50 years ago, after a violent volcanic eruption, and has become a real laboratory for naturalists!

Episode 5

Unzen - Man Versus Giant

2019-03-22 26 min

Japan’s Mount Unzen violently awakened in 1991, after two centuries of sleep... For five years, terrifying avalanches of gas and ash destroyed everything on their path. But the Japanese did not give in and stood up to the volcano. They invested pharaonic sums of money into creating dams to prevent mud flows. Despite the relentless threat of the volcano, people remained nearby. In Japan, the sense of belonging to the land is very strong, especially when one can enjoy the benefits of geothermal energy : hot baths and volcanic cooking.

Episode 6

Hawaii - The Lava of Kilauea

2019-03-25 26 min

In Hawaii, the Kilauea volcano has been erupting continuously since 1983. Its glowing streams flow into the Pacific in a magical commotion of water and fire, transforming the island into an everlasting cycle of creation and destruction. If the lava of the volcano creates new lands on the ocean, it also destroys entire villages such as Kalapana where a community still lives in harmony with their fiery giant. Women and men rebuilt their homes on black lava, where their old lands were situated. Every week, they come together and celebrate the carnal bond that ties them to the Hawaiian volcanic land. For any volcano enthusiast, the grail is to get closer to the lava and to take a sample, as did Haroun Tazief, the legendary volcanologist…Arnaud Guerin’s dream has comes true.

Episode 7

Kawah Ijen: The Hell of Sulfur

2019-03-26 26 min

In Indonesia, Kawah Ijen reveals its infernal insides. Miners extracting sulfur work in extreme conditions, and take turns daily in the inferno of the crater. One of the workers, Sarno, has been working there for twenty-eight years. Under such severe conditions, he would extract sulfur with a mining bar and carry 75 kilos of it on his back. Sum Arti, a volcanologist, monitors the level of danger linked to gases and protects miners from the risk of gas bubbles that can potentially be lethal.

Episode 8

Auvergne: The Mysteries of Its Sleeping Giants

2019-03-27 26 min

Despite its peaceful demeanour, the volcanoes in Auvergne have known a tumultuous past. Large reserves of magma have been discovered recently in the underground depths and a new eruption cannot be ruled out entirely. The Pavin Lake is said to be cursed ... Although today it remains quiet, many stories reveal that is was surprisingly active until the eighteenth century, with villages being engulfed by swirls of lava ... Today, scientists are investigating its deep black waters to try and explain this strange phenomena.

Episode 9

Ecuador - Beneath the Cotopaxi Glacier

2019-03-28 26 min

In Ecuador, the Cotopaxi volcano rises to almost 5 900 meters in altitude. The glaciers that cover its crest are constantly being monitored : in the event of an eruption, their melting could cause devastating mudslides. Scientific expeditions conducted at such high altitude are a real challenge, especially for Arnaud Guérin, who suffers from acute mountain sickness. At the foot of the volcano, the Chagras move their cattle on horseback. If an eruption occurs, they can quickly evacuate their endangered herds. Santiago Benitez is a shaman who keeps the temazcal tradition alive. It is a very ancient spiritual practice that involves heating volcanic rocks.

Episode 10

Naples: A Volcano Can Hide Another

2019-03-29 26 min

Each of its tremors is constantly monitored : the Vesuvius is one of the world’s most famous and dangerous volcanoes. At its feet lies the city of Naples, the third largest city in Italy, and its 970,000 inhabitants. Its eruption, in 79 AD made history and it literally destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. But for centuries, Neapolitans have accepted this risk and benefited from the volcano's resources. However, in the shadow of the Vesuvius, lies another volcano which sleeps in silence : the Phlegrean Fields...

Episode 11

Aeolian Islands - From Hell to Paradise

2019-04-01 26 min

Volcanoes have shaped the fate of the Aeolian Islands. The most famous one being Stromboli, which attracts thousands of visitors every year. Yet the island and its very active volcano weren’t always so popular ... If this island is renowned today, it is thanks to Rossellini's legendary film, Stromboli, featuring Ingrid Bergman, and their tumultuous love story during the film shooting. Before then, the Aeolian islands were poor and inhospitable. Only a few inhabitants lived there, like Pasquale, a modest olive grower. Only half a century ago, the island still harboured a prison ...

Episode 12

New Zealand: Human Treasures

2019-04-02 26 min

For nearly a thousand years, islanders have learned to master volcanic forces. A strong bond ties them to their land which offers them many gifts : beautiful obsidian stones and exceptional hot springs. Local sources of geothermal energy are another one of these volcanic treasures from "the land of the long white cloud". Some tribes have integrated this natural energy to their daily lives. This phenomenal source of energy also has more modern applications : it can provide enough electricty for 160,000 homes in New Zealand.

Episode 13

Reunion Island: in the Heart of the Volcanoe

2019-04-03 26 min

Reunion island brings us on a journey through volcanic time ... The young Piton de la Fournaise figures today among the world’s most active volcanoes ... Its extreme activity is linked to its youth. Aline Peltier, a volcanologist, monitors this volcano closely because of its five annual eruptions. Its neighbour, which sleeps nearby, the venerable Piton des Neiges, show traces of millions of years of volcanic activity on its slopes. Its study helps scientists anticipate the future transformations of the Piton de la Fournaise. Not far from there, an amazing local community lives in near autarky.

Episode 14

Guatemala: Under the Threat of the Fuego Geant

2019-04-04 26 min

In Guatemala, the Fuego volcano is permanently active, threatening tens of thousands inhabitants. Gustavo Chigna, a volcanologist, inspects its slopes to measure the quantities of accumulated volcanic materials. In the village of La Trinidad, located 5 km away from the active crater, lives a small community that understands the risks involved in case of eruption ...

Episode 15

Sakurajima: Life Under the Ashes

2019-04-05 26 min

In Japan, the Sakurajima volcano erupts almost daily and threatens the 600,000 inhabitants that live at its feet. On the flanks of the volcano, every morning, children make their way to school with protective helmets. The ash that accumulates in the village forces the inhabitants to perform a daily cleaning. But these ashes are also a source of benefits. Mr. Shirahama, a farmer, cultivates the largest radishes in the world. Meanwhile Japanese scientists monitor the volcanoes 24 hours a day.

Episode 16

Guatemala - Volcanoes on Mayan Territory

2019-04-08 26 min

In Guatemala, the Santiaguito volcano was born less than 100 years ago. Scientists are fascinated by its youth and intense activity. Volcanologists from allover the world are attracted by the unique opportunity to observe a volcano in the early stage of its life. But this research is also geared towards protecting those populations living at the foot of the volcano as well as coffee plantations. For the descendants of the Mayan people, the Santiaguito and many other volcanoes of the region symbolise the creative power of nature.

Episode 17

Iceland, the Lords of Fire

2019-04-09 26 min

Iceland is undoubtedly volcano kingdom. It is the most important volcanic island on the planet, its land produce nearly a third of the world's lava. Its lunar territory is the battlefield for the elements : water, ice and fire. Here, the volcanoes impose their laws which men, animals and everyone bows down to. Beyond the risk of fires, a rising source of concern is linked to the glaciers that cover some of these volcanoes. These are monitored daily as their interaction with the volcanic heat, deep down, can generate huge glacial floods that destroy everything on their path.

Episode 18

Mauna Loa: The Hawaii Giant

2019-04-10 26 min

In Hawaii, Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on the planet. Its colossal mass could cause unsuspected dangers : its unstable flanks could collapse into the ocean and cause a mega-tsunami. Gérard Fryer, a geophysicist, devoted his entire life to the study of this unknown phenomenon: by entering the water, this enormous mass of rock forms giant waves, 300 meters high. Other tsunamis caused by earthquakes around the Pacific regularly affect the island’s coast. The volcano’s peak is so high that scientists have settled there to study global warming.

Episode 19

New Zealand - Volcanic Lakes in Maorie Land

2019-04-11 26 min

New Zealand is the theatre of Earth’s most violent volcanic eruptions. Lake Taupo witnessed a cataclysmic eruption which rejected enough ash to cover an entire country the size of France. White Island, located 40 kilometres off the coast, is a unique place, home to a capricious lake of craters that flows into the sea or evaporates depending on magmatic activity. For the Maori people, these volcanic lakes are sacred as they are home to gods like Ruapehu. When scientists come to study this lake, they abide by their rules and follow the prayers of a Maori guide...

Episode 20

Ecuador: The Obstiante Inhabitants of Tungurahua

2019-04-12 26 min

Tungurahua is an explosive volcano in Ecuador. In 2006, the district of Palictahua was destroyed. Since then, its inhabitants have taken action to join forces. They actively take part in a surveillance network and have brought back to life an ancestral tradition of Inca culture : community fields for growing staple foods. Volcanic thermalism is rooted in the local culture, while the city of Banos celebrates the Virgin of the sacred water, who is believed to protect the city from the volcano’s anger.

Recommended for you

Our Universe poster

2022•★ 7.8TV

Earth at Night in Colour poster

Earth at Night in Colour

2020•★ 8.2TV

Natural World poster

1983•★ 7.4TV

Welcome to Earth poster

Welcome to Earth

2021•★ 7.6TV

History 101 poster

2020•★ 7.1TV

History's Greatest Mysteries poster

History's Greatest Mysteries

2020•★ 7.7TV

Prehistoric Planet poster

Prehistoric Planet

2022•★ 8.3TV

How the Universe Works poster

How the Universe Works

2010•★ 8.3TV

Nature poster

1982•★ 7.9TV

Galapagos poster

2006•★ 7.5TV

Planet Earth II poster

Planet Earth II

2016•★ 8.6TV

JANET JACKSON. poster

2022•★ 7.5TV

NOVA poster

1974•★ 7.0TV

Secrets of the Dead poster

Secrets of the Dead

2000•★ 6.4TV

The Crocodile Hunter poster

The Crocodile Hunter

1997•★ 7.6TV

Secrets of the Penguins poster

Secrets of the Penguins

2025•★ 7.6TV

The Americas poster

2025•★ 8.2TV

Earthstorm poster

2022•★ 7.1TV

Human Planet poster

2011•★ 8.3TV

Great Migrations poster

Great Migrations

2010•★ 7.7TV

Similar series

Searching for Soul Food poster

Searching for Soul Food

2023•★ 6.0TV

Search for Second Earth poster

Search for Second Earth

2018•★ 7.2TV

2005 : État d'urgence poster

2005 : État d'urgence

2025•★ 8.0TV

Connections with James Burke poster

Connections with James Burke

2023•★ 8.2TV

What's the Monarchy For? poster

What's the Monarchy For?

2025•★ 0.0TV

Kingdom of Plants poster

Kingdom of Plants

2012•★ 7.8TV

Wild Yellowstone poster

Wild Yellowstone

2015•★ 7.5TV

Meet The Meerkats poster

Meet The Meerkats

2021•★ 8.0TV

The Food That Built America poster

The Food That Built America

2019•★ 7.9TV

Tokyo Walker poster

2007•★ 10.0TV

Constructing Australia poster

Constructing Australia

2007•★ 0.0TV

Whales and I poster

2023•★ 0.0TV

Earth: The Power of the Planet poster

Earth: The Power of the Planet

2007•★ 8.2TV

The Great Canadian Wilderness poster

The Great Canadian Wilderness

2006•★ 0.0TV

Tsunami 2004: The Day the Wave Hit poster

Tsunami 2004: The Day the Wave Hit

2024•★ 0.0TV

The Secret Lives of Animals poster

The Secret Lives of Animals

2024•★ 8.0TV

Whales poster

2024•★ 0.0TV

Blue Planet III

Blue Planet III

★ 0.0TV

Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake poster

Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake

2022•★ 7.4TV

Planet Earth poster

2006•★ 8.6TV

Advertisement

ORYVE MERCHWear what you're into.

Graphic tees, hoodies and accessories with more personality.

Shop the collection ↗

Advertisement

ORYVE MERCHWear what you're into.

Graphic tees, hoodies and accessories with more personality.

Shop the collection ↗

Advertisement

ORYVE MERCHWear what you're into.

Graphic tees, hoodies and accessories with more personality.

Shop the collection ↗