Join daredevil glacionauts for a plunge into a hidden waterworld.

Mont Blanc, western Europe’s highest peak, rises majestically in the Alps. But deep inside its massive glaciers lurks a hidden danger–killer lakes with the potential to burst free—just as they did in 1892 when a mid-summer torrent of cascading mud and water claimed 200 lives. Armed with high-tech gear and boundless courage, a NOVA team goes where no one has gone before—deep inside the sub-freezing waters of Mont Blanc’s 1000-foot-thick Mer de Glace (“Sea of Ice”).

Looking for clues to find out if Mt. Blanc’s historic catastrophe is ready to repeat itself, scientists dive into the eerie inner world of glacial cracks, crevasses, ice shafts, water wells, and tunnels, searching for the dangerous hidden lakes.

Descent Into the Ice gives you the most intimate look at mountain glaciers ever filmed. Spectacular footage captures these icy behemoths in motion from above and, most astoundingly, from below–while a new breed of explorers known as “glacionauts” reveal the mountain’s uniquely beautiful and threatening waterworld.

Special DVD features include: materials and activities for educators; a link to the NOVA Web site; scene selections; closed captions; and described video for the visually impaired.

On one DVD5 disc. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Letterboxed.