Indiana University, B.S. with Honors, Geology, 1984
Harvard University, Ph.D., Earth and Planetary Sciences, 1989
Film Credits
The Climate Puzzle (1994)
The Weather Channel. A documentary about climate, including the possible effects produced by the K/T boundary impact event. Kring was filmed on location in Chiapas, Mexico, 1993. (Videotapes of the program were distributed free to schools.)
The Solar Empire: Impact! (1997)
The Learning Channel. A half-hour show for The Solar Empire science series. This particular segment is about meteorites and impact cratering processes. Segments with Kring were filmed at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in 1996. The show aired several times in 1997. York Films (London).
The New Explorers: The Search for the Origins of Life (1998)
A&E Channels. This show for The New Explorers science series is focused on the origin of life, the characteristics of hyperthermophilic life, and the possibility of life on Mars. Most of Kring’s input was at the pre-production stage, but segments with Kring and his graduate students were also filmed at Yellowstone National Park in 1997. The show first aired 9 April 1998. Kurtis Productions (Chicago).
Paleoworld IV – Doom of the Dinosaurs (1998)
Discovery and Learning Channels. A half-hour show for the Paleoworld science series. Segments with Kring were filmed at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and at a K/T boundary site in Tamaulipas, Mexico in 1997. The show first aired in 1998. Wall to Wall Television (London).
In Search of History: Asteroids (1998)
The History Channel. An hour documentary for the In Search of History series. Kring was interviewed about meteorites and the Chicxulub, Meteor Crater, and Tunguska impact events. This documentary received the highest rating of any show on the History Channel the week it first aired in December 1998, and had the second highest rating of any show in the In Search of History series. Weller Grossman Productions (Sherman Oaks, CA).
Science Frontiers: Asteroid Impacts (1998)
The Learning Channel. An hour-long documentary about impact hazards prepared for the Science Frontiers series. Kring was interviewed in early 1998 and the “Asteroid Impacts” segment first aired in September 1998. CineNova Productions (Toronto).
Big Science: Comets (1998)
Irish Television (Dublin). A documentary about comets, impact events, and their possible role in the origin and extinction of life was produced for a four-part RTÉ series Big Science. Kring was interviewed at the Flandrau Science Center. The documentary first aired in Ireland in November 1998.
Strange Science: Mysterious Skies (1999)
The Learning Channel. A segment about meteorites and meteorite falls for the Strange Science series. The producer interviewed Kring in his laboratories and office in September 1998. The show first aired in February 1999. Sachnoff-Lipman Entertainment (Los Angeles).
InsideScience
A segment regarding the hazards of asteroid and comet collisions, the effects of the Chicxulub impact event, and the effects of the Meteor Crater impact event was based on an interview with Kring. This series is sponsored by the American Chemical Society who distributed it to about 200 television news stations across the country.
Impact Earth(1999)
The Learning Channel (US), ITV (UK), and The Discovery Channel (worldwide, with translations). Kring was interviewed in the desert where meteorites have been found in the past. He provided input regarding meteorite falls, the Meteor Crater impact event, the Tunguska impact event, and asteroid hazards in general. The documentary aired in the United States on The Learning Channel in May and June 1999. Transmedia Productions (London).
Earth: A First Look (2000)
A classroom film for students in grades 1-3. Kring is the scientist in the film that introduces students to basic geologic concepts like core-mantle-crust structure, volcanism, erosion, and weathering. In addition to being filmed for the production, Kring reviewed and helped modify additional narration. The film is distributed by Rainbow Educational Media. The film was released in Spring, 2000. Cochran Productions.
Schätze aus dem all fous de Meteorites (2000)
A science documentary about meteorites and impact hazards for French and German television. The title above (which translates roughly to treasures from space) is the German title of the version produced in association with GEO Reportage and GEO Magazin. Kring was interviewed in 1999. The show first aired in late February or early March of 2000. Wall to Wall Productions (London, U.K.).
Forensic Science: Digging for Clues (2002)
CourtTV. A one-hour segment titled “Digging for Clues” was produced for the series Forensic Science, which is designed to illustrate how forensic science techniques were developed to solve academic issues. In this particular show segment, Kring illustrated how the minerals and paleoflora in Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary sediments were used to reconstruct various ecosystems and how they responded to the Chicxulub impact event.
Mystery Hunters: Death of the Dinosaurs (2002)
This is a children’s educational television show that is broadcast on Discovery International (UK, continental Asia, Australia, and Latin America), Discovery Kids (US), and YTV (Canada). Kring was filmed at Meteor Crater where he and the show’s host had a dialogue about Meteor Crater and the consequences of the larger Chicxulub impact event. Filming occurred in August 2002. The show was scheduled to initially air in December 2002. Apartment 11 Productions (Montreal, Canada).
Killers in Space (2002)
Channel 4 (UK) and The Learning Channel (US). A science documentary about impact events and how they affect life. Kring helped with pre-production issues early in 2001 and joined a film crew at the Sudbury impact crater in mid-2001 for a series of interviews. The Channel 4 edition initially aired in January 2002 and set a ratings record for its science shows. The show was then reedited for The Learning Channel in the United States. Pioneer Productions (London, UK).
Mega Disasters: Asteroid Apocalypse (2006)
The History Channel. A documentary about future impact hazards and clues about them derived from past geologic events. Kring was filmed on location at Meteor Crater, Arizona, at the Space Imagery Center, and in his laboratory. Creative Differences Productions.
Naked Science: Planet Storm (2007)
The National Geographic Channel. A documentary about a period of severe impact bombardment of the Moon, often called the lunar cataclysm, that likely affected the entire inner Solar System. Kring was filmed on location at Meteor Crater, Arizona and in his laboratory.
The Inner Planets: Mercury and Venus (2007)
National Geographic Channel. To illustrate how impact cratering processes shaped the surfaces of Mercury and Venus, Kring described the processes on location at Meteor Crater, Arizona.
The Universe: Asteroids and Comets (2008)
The History Channel. A documentary about asteroids and comets for The Universe series. Kring was filmed on location at Meteor Crater, Arizona, and in his office. He described the Chicxulub impact event the environmental consequences that led to the extinction of dinosaurs. He also described the Chicxulub Scientific Drilling Project, the impact-generated hydrothermal system it penetrated, and implications for his impact-origin of life hypothesis. Flight 33 Productions (Sherman Oaks, CA).
First Apocalypse (2009)
The History Channel. A two-hour special about dinosaur extinction and its cause(s). Kring was filmed on location at a K-T boundary location in Colorado where debris ejected from the Chicxulub impact crater landed. He describes the environmental consequences of the impact event. Flight 33 Productions (Sherman Oaks, CA).
How the Earth was Made: Asteroids (2009)
The History Channel. The “Asteroids” segment of this series examines the evidence that led D. M. Barringer and other geologists to realize the Earth could be hit by asteroids. Kring was filmed on location at Meteor Crater and Colton Crater, Arizona. This series won an Emmy Award for outstanding editing. Pioneer Productions (London).
Collisions and Impacts (2012)
A 9:00 minute film that is shown each hour in Meteor Crater Theater on the rim of Meteor Crater, Arizona. Kring, along with Drs Carleton Moore and Carolyn Shoemaker, describe collisions in space and on the Earth, and the role they had in the evolution of the Solar System. Kring was interviewed on location in Meteor Crater. Available from Meteor Crater Enterprises (Flagstaff).
What the Moon Teaches Us: Origin and Evolution of Life (2013)
A 6:36 minute video produced by Andrew Chaikin for YouTube. Kring was interviewed at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, Texas.
Day the Dinosaurs Died (2017)
Dr. Kring was a Science Advisor for a PBS NOVA production about the Chicxulub impact event, its environmental effects, and the consequences the impact had for dinosaurs.
Back to the Moon (2019)
A NOVA PBS documentary that includes a discussion of how big ideas, such as the Moon’s origin, subsequent impact bombardment, and the prevalence of water, may be explored with a new suite of lunar missions. Kring was filmed on location at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston. Bigger Bang Productions (London, UK).
Modern Day Killer Asteroid (2019)
A Curiosity Streaming production that addresses the environmental effects of the Chicxulub impact and explores the hazards of future impact events. Kring was filmed at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX.
Northern Arizona Backstage Pass (2019)
An Astronomy Magazine production explores Lowell Observatory, the U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center, the U.S. Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station, and Meteor Crater. Kring was filmed at Meteor Crater, where he describes how the crater was discovered, how the crater formed, and its implications for Solar System science. Released on DVD by Kalmbach Media Co. in 2019.
Space Travel (2019)
NHK (Japan). Dr. Kring was interviewed by the NHK Educational Corporation (NED) about the Apollo missions, their scientific results, and prospects for a new generation of lunar explorers. He was filmed at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX. The show aired in October 2019.
Amazing Dinosaur World II (2023)
NHK (Japan). Dr. Kring was interviewed about the age of dinosaurs and how it came to an abrupt end when an asteroid hit the Earth in what is now the Yucatán of Mexico. This film is for youths with a storyline about a girl who likes to daydream about dinosaurs and finds the scientific studies behind them. Dr. Kring was filmed at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX. The show aired in the spring of 2023.
