All around us is Earth’s bounty—spectacular mountains, Caribbean blue oceans and abundant, delicious food crops. But what we can see is only a part of the riches Earth provides. Its hidden assets are some of our most important natural resources and they have helped shape humankind. They are the metals that have built our modern cities and the fuels we need to power them. They are the sparkling gems whose beauty excites us and the many other minerals essential to the tools we use every day. We simply could not live our lives without these resources.

Treasures of Earth is a three-part series that takes us on a journey deep inside the Earth to uncover the mysteries of how these treasures were created and explores how they have allowed humans to evolve and build great civilizations. As the quest continues, we are discovering that some of our treasures may soon run out. Looking deep into these ancient resources, NOVA reveals new secrets that will help us solve the problems we face today.