It happened virtually overnight: Eleven thousand years ago, the world's temperatures suddenly rose drastically, creating a climate shift within a human lifetime that is nearly unimaginable. What triggered this frightening shift? And, more importantly- is it about to happen again? Take a trip to the bitter-cold bottom of the world, a beautiful, unforgiving place where experts are racing against time to probe the Antarctic ice for its secrets. Miles deep, the frigid expanse holds 70 percent of the world's fresh water in a deep freeze cold enough to shatter steel. But recently things have been heating up: In 1995, an iceberg the size of Rhode Island broke off from the Larsen ice shelf along the Antarctic coast, hinting at a potential meltdown. If the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet were to follow suit, sea level would rise by almost 20 feet- causing a deluge that would wipe out entire cities, redraw the world's coastlines, and leave millions homeless. Hollywood's version of such a disaster was Waterworld. Now meet the rugged scientists of the real world, as they bore deep into the ice- and back through the ages- in search of clues to help solve the mystery of rapid climate change, before it's too late. Special DVD features include: materials and activities for educators; a link to the NOVA Web site; scene selections; and closed captions. On one DVD5 disc. Region coding: Region 1. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: 4 x 3 Full Screen.