“America’s Hotspots: Our Volcanic Legacy, which was played in Marsee Auditorium on Monday, Feb. 2, is a two-hour look into the history and wonder of the most dangerous and well-known volcanoes in our country.

The award-winning filmmaker, Gray Warriner, narrates and gives first hand experiences on his travels to volcanoes such as Mt. Rainier, Mount St. Helens, Yellowstone National Park, and the volcanoes that helped create the islands of Hawaii.

Warriner was on the base of Mount St. Helens day before it erupted May 18, 1980, and gives a vivid description of what he saw that day.

Aside from the volcanoes, Warriner also goes into detail on some of the most amazing geysers, hot springs, lakes, craters, and other volcanic landforms.

He also details, with pictures, as to what some of the mountains looked like before their most recent eruptions. In some cases, craters left by the eruptions reduced the sizes of the mountains.

The documentary shows that while the volcanoes destroyed many lives and landscapes, they also created some of the most beautiful sights the nation has to offer. The pictures and videos that are shown help give an idea as to what being at the base of the volcanoes and experiencing them erupt may be like.

Archaeologists uncovered evidence of ancient civilizations that lived in areas around some of these volcanoes, and Warriner tells some of the stories that have been spread by those people.

About half of the film is based on the West Coast alone — starting near Canada and ending in California, as it pans over other states like Washington and Oregon. The Northwestern region of the country makes up many of the places documented in the film.

Hawaii, while not as close in proximity to the other volcanoes, holds its own compared to what it has done to change the landscape of, not only America, but also the world.

The United States has a very rich legacy when it comes to the volcanoes that we have here, and the documentary highlights the fact that many people don’t realize what we have in our own backyard.

For more information on “Volcanoes” click here. A second discovery film, “Pearls of the Caribbean,” will be screened at the Marsee Auditorium $7 per ticket Monday Feb. 9. Click here for more details on the screening and ticket information.