People in Taiwan know firsthand the effects of shifting tectonic plates1. To put it simply, the island's residents have survived numerous earthquakes as a result of the Earth's crust2 moving. Who can forget the massive 7.3-magnitude3 quake that destroyed much of the island on September 21, 1999? What's more, images of the death and destruction from the 7.0-magnitude quake in Haiti and the one that registered 8.8 in Chile, both occurring in 2010, also come to mind.

　　Some believe the Earth is suffering the wrath4 of Mother Nature, while others claim it is the start of the end of the world. The truth is that these movements in the Earth's crust are easily explained by science. According to the theory of plate tectonics, the Earth's crust consists of big rigid plates that are 80 to 100 kilometers thick. These plates change size and position over time, which causes intense geologic5 activity at the plate edges. These include volcanic eruptions6, tsunamis7, and earthquakes. National Geographic Channel and expert geologist, Dr. Nick Eyles, are on the case as they document the geologic forces that shape our world and our lives in "Geologic Journey."

　　台灣民眾對板塊移動所帶來的影響有親身的體驗。簡單來講，這座島上的居民已經逃過了無數次由於地殼變動所導致的地震。有誰能忘得了那場發生於1999年九月二十一日、重創了泰半寶島的規模7.3的大地震？此外，人們也會憶起同在2010年發生的兩場地震所造成的各種死亡及滿目瘡痍的景象，一是發生在海地的規模7的地震，另一是智利8.8的強震。

　　有些人相信地球正遭受大自然的憤怒反撲，而其他人則聲稱這是世界末日的開端。事實上，這些地殼運動很容易就能用科學來解釋。根據板塊構造學說，地殼是由厚達八十至一百公里的巨大堅硬板塊所組成。這些板塊的大小和位置會隨著時間漸漸改變，因此在板塊邊緣會造成各種劇烈的地質活動。這些地質活動包括火山爆發、海嘯和地震。在《地質之旅》節目中，國家地理頻道和地質專家尼克•艾爾斯博士正負責把塑造出我們這個世界和當中種種生活面貌的地質力量記錄下來。