Extreme Weather

Weather has always been one of the most dynamic and complex forces shaping our planet, but now it’s intensifying in varied and complex ways. Extreme Weather takes us to the front lines where few have gone.

Among the melting tidewater glaciers of Alaska, National Geographic Emerging Explorer Dr. Erin Pettit leads a young team of researchers into the splash zone at the face of Dawes Glacier aboard a boat custom-designed to get as close as possible to the calving ice. 

In the Great Plains of the United States, Oklahoma native Justin Walker tries to place pods of sensors inside tornadoes as part of an effort to determine if tornado outbreaks are growing more extreme. 

A prolonged drought in California has caused the death of huge swaths of forest, creating a dangerous surge in the intensity of wildfires. Firefighters battle through smoke so thick it looks like night and so shockingly close to the heat that out-of-control flames lick at the lens. 

Follow these researchers and everyday heroes as they uncover surprising connections to help us understand and adapt to our ever-changing weather.

This program sponsored in part through COCA’s Cultural Grant Program funded by the City of Tallahassee and Leon County. Your ticket purchase supports the Challenger Learning Center’s community outreach and educational programming.