Explore every episode of PlanetGeo: The Geology Podcast
Dive into the complete episode list for PlanetGeo: The Geology Podcast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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03 Mar 2022
Eruption, The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens: Author Steve Olson
00:58:27
Join us as we interview science writer Steve Olson about his book Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens. For his outstanding work on this book, he won the Washington State Book Award and was named one of the best nonfiction books of 2016 by Amazon. Steve is also the author of the book The Apocalypse Factory: Plutonium and the Making of the Atomic Age, a new history of the nuclear era told from the perspective of the Hanford nuclear reservation. He also is the author of Mapping Human History: Genes, Race, and Our Common Origins, which was nominated for the National Book Award, and other books, and he has written for the Atlantic Monthly, Science, the Smithsonian, and many other magazines. Since 1979, he has been a consultant writer for the National Academy of Sciences, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and other national scientific organizations.
In the book, Steve writes about the forestry industry, the history of the National Forest, and he tells the human side of the story before, during, and after the eruption. In this interview, we ask Steve a series of questions that came to mind as we read his book. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this outstanding conversation with author Steve Olson. The stories are fantastic.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Modern Mount St. Helens: Author Steve Olson (GeoShort)
00:08:35
Join us in a preview to our full interview with science writer Steve Olson!
In this GeoShort, we cover the modern science of Mount St. Helens, a bit about Steve's writing career, and discuss the importance of geoscience!
Tune in next week for the full interview.
In the book, Steve writes about the forestry industry, the history of the National Forest, and he tells the human side of the story before, during, and after the eruption. In this interview, we ask Steve a series of questions that came to mind as we read his book. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this outstanding conversation with author Steve Olson. The stories are fantastic.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
National Geographic and Geoscience Writing - Dr. Maya Wei-Haas
00:59:25
Join us as we interview Dr. Maya Wei-Haas who works as a science journalist for National Geographic. Dr. Wei-Haas has a PhD in geoscience, has done top-tier research. In our discussion, she explains why she decided to pivot and use her extensive background to write interesting articles about our amazing planet. This was not an easy decision for Dr. Wei-Haas to make as writing did not come naturally - just another obstacle for her to overcome. Sit back and listen to this intriguing discussion about Earth science, writing, and life.
Dr. Maya Wei-Haas has an impressive CV: She has a PhD in Geoscience, but now works as a science journalist for National Geographic. Here are some of the awards Dr. Wei-Haas has won!
Science Journalist for National Geographic - particular affection for Rocks and Reactions,
Assistant Editor - Smithsonian Magazine
American Academy for the Advancement of Science Fellow in 2015
PhD in Earth Science from Ohio State University
ASCE Excellence in Journalism Award 2021
AGU’s Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism (2020)
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow (2010-2015)
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
A Geology Bullseye: The Black Hills of South Dakota
00:50:30
The Black Hills happens to be one of our favorite places. We thought it was the right time to talk about them as people are getting the itch for summer to arrive so we can play in the mountains. The Black Hills is the perfect area to orient a young family to a life of adventure and respect for the outdoors. You can't get into too much trouble here and these mountains and the surrounding area offers so much to do. The Black Hills of South Dakota are a destination - not a speed bump on your way out West. Sit back and enjoy!
Geology of the Hills
The geology is complex but there are 3 basic suites of rock formations. The igneous and metamorphic core in the southern part of the Hills (Black Elk Peak, Mount Rushmore), some intrusive and extrusive igneous activity in the northern part of the hills (Bear butte and Devils Tower), and the sedimentary rocks that rim and surround the entire area (Racetrack and Wind Cave). From a 30,000 foot perspective, everythings looks like a huge oval shaped bullseye.
The granite core, that has tons of awesome pegmatite was formed between 2 by and 1.8 by ago in the Trans-Hudson Orogeny. This is ancient mountain building event that formed the Canadian shield and the North American Craton (Jesse, you probably know a lot about this). The pegmatite makes for a climbing meca.
Surrounding the Granite, is a diverse group of metamorphic rocks. These are the oldest in the area, because they were formerly sedimentary rocks that were metamorphosed into schists and gneisses by the THO. These rocks were intensely heated and squeezed enormously. In some areas of the hills, the metamorphic rocks are tilted 90 degrees (upended) and have been heavily eroded since. (Jesse, we love this stuff because we LOVE schist - garnet, staurolite, etc)
The PreC core was eventually brought to the surface. How did this happen and How do we know?
It was relatively flat, and then covered by a shallow sea and eventually the Western Interior Seaway.
The sedimentary rocks that circle the BH are oldest near the core and get progressively younger further out. You can always tell where you are in the BH by the types of rocks around you - core vs. unaltered sed. rx.
Over 7500 feet of vertically accumulated rocks here
Then the Laramide Orogeny began to influence this area. This is the famous event that formed the Rocky Mountains far to the West. But a stray blob of magma rose way to the East under the Black Hills - pushing up the PreC core and the sedimentary strata covering them.
The highest parts of the BH are 7200 feet above sea level. The sed rx were 7500 feet thick so the total uplift is near 15,000 feet, but they were not likely ever that tall. As uplift was going on, so was erosion.
The blob of magma was like a piston, shoving up the rocks from below. As the PreC core poked through, the sedimentary rocks were folded and upended. This
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Daylight Saving Time: Interview with Dr. Maya Wei-Haas
00:10:36
Dr. Maya Wei-Haas has an impressive CV: See below. She has a PhD in Geoscience, but now works as a science journalist for National Geographic. Dr. Wei-Haas has had to overcome some major obstacles to become a professional journalist. Join us in this interesting discussion about a recent article on Daylight Saving Time.
Science Journalist for National Geographic - particular affection for Rocks and Reactions,
Assistant Editor - Smithsonian Magazine
American Academy for the Advancement of Science Fellow in 2015
PhD in Earth Science from Ohio State University
ASCE Excellence in Journalism Award 2021
AGU’s Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism (2020)
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow (2010-2015)
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Your Questions! Road Collapse in the United Kingdom (GeoShort)
00:12:20
Thanks to our UK listener Valeria for this excellent question!
Valeria wondered what was going on with road collapses in the UK recently! Luckily, some experts have looked into this and wrote this recent blog post that proposes some ideas, and suggests further research is necessary.
In this Geoshort, we discuss these options, as well as explain what Solifluction is, and how it moves soil in a very powerful and slow process.
Thanks Valeria for an excellent question! We look forward to many more from you and other listeners of PlanetGeo.
As usual, please follow us on all the social media accounts or shoot us an email!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Radon is something you have probably heard of, but may not know much about. It is a really important aspect of geoscience that touches our lives everyday.
Radon is an element that is radioactive. It is formed from the decay of Uranium as Uranium breaks down into Lead. Radon is special because it is a Noble Gas, which means it is an element that doesn't bond with other elements, so it can move around easily. When Uranium decays, it goes through several steps of decay and eventually gets to Radon.
Once Radon is formed, it can move. Radon is a gas and can flow through soils, in water, or even seep through concrete. So, it can make it into your house! Once there, Radon can hang around for a few days until it decays again and eventually produces Pb.
Radon can move easier if
The soil is permeable - stuff can flow through it
The soil is porous - there is a lot of space in the soil
Soil is dry - water slows down Radon movement
There are several ways for Radon to get into your house if it can move quickly through the soil. First it can seep through concrete foundations slowly. Second, it can flow from the high pressure soil to the low pressure air in your house through cracks in the foundation. And third, it can be dissolved in groundwater and get released when that water is agitated (showers, faucet running, etc).
It's easy to test for Radon in your home, and relatively inexpensive to get it fixed - so if you are unsure, get your home tested!!
Also, we have a new website!! Check it out or send us an email at our email address planetgeocast@gmail.com
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Industrial Ecology and Critical Minerals: Dr. Nedal Nassar
00:51:59
Today we have the great pleasure of talking about a very important topic, while interviewing one of the best and most interesting people we've had the pleasure of speaking with!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
** Just a quick note - Dr. Nassar slightly misspoke in this episode when talking about Tantalum and corrected himself later. Tantalum is actually combined with niobium, vanadium, and zirconium. Tellurium is combined with elemental boron.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Join us this week for our interview of Dr. Robin George Andrews. Robin George Andrews is a freelance science journalist based in London. His work has appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Scientific American, Gizmodo, Atlas Obscura and elsewhere. He trained as a volcanologist, earning a doctorate in the subject, but then realized that telling people stories of spectacular eruptions and off-world scientific shenanigans brought him more joy than academia ever could. His upcoming book — Super Volcanoes: What They Reveal about Earth and the Worlds Beyond is out now - go buy a copy!
I must admit, it took Jesse and I a while to realize that the book is called Super Volcanoes - two words. In other words, all volcanoes are super. Most volcanologists strongly dislike the term Supervolcanoes - one word, that is typically used to describe Yellowstone National Park.
Robin has a huge personality which made for a very fun interview. We talked about Hawaii, Yellowstone, deep ocean volcanoes, Tonga, and Marie Tharp to name just a few. Tune in to get all the details. You won't be disappointed.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
In this episode, we discuss the geology of Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We've been neglectful of this region of the U.S. and it's time to do these amazing mountains justice.
We begin by discussing why the Smokies are Smoky. It's an interesting and natural phenomenon that involves the immense pine forests.
After we get the biology out of the way, we dive into the geology. We broke it down to 3 major geologic events: 1- the bedrock geology and the accumulation of a massive amount of sediment from the breakup of Rodinia (a super-continent that preceded Pangaea). 2- Deformation and mountain building from the Pangaea collision. 3- Erosion as Pangaea broke apart.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Join us this week for our interview of Dr. Robin George Andrews. Robin George Andrews is a freelance science journalist based in London. His work has appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Scientific American, Gizmodo, Atlas Obscura and elsewhere. He trained as a volcanologist, earning a doctorate in the subject, but then realized that telling people stories of spectacular eruptions and off-world scientific shenanigans brought him more joy than academia ever could. His upcoming book — Super Volcanoes: What They Reveal about Earth and the Worlds Beyond is out now - go buy a copy!
I must admit, it took Jesse and I a while to realize that the book is called Super Volcanoes - two words. In other words, all volcanoes are super. Most volcanologists strongly dislike the term Supervolcanoes - one word, that is typically used to describe Yellowstone National Park.
Robin has a huge personality which made for a very fun interview. We talked about Hawaii, Yellowstone, deep ocean volcanoes, Tonga, and Marie Tharp to name just a few. Tune in to get all the details. You won't be disappointed.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
In todays episode, Jesse and Chris re-visit an idea on GeoScience in the news. This was fun for us. We didn't talk before we picked our topics. We realized that there are so many geoscience topics in the news and that we need to do more of this type of thing. Here are the links to our articles we chose. Sit back and enjoy!!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
People often wonder, why can't we date diamonds? Today, we answer that!
Here, we talk through the basics of Carbon Dating, also called RadioCarbon Dating! Radiocarbon is an awesome technique that also has some really common misconceptions about it. We go through the basics of this amazing method, with great analogies as usual, and we cover all those misconceptions!
Carbon dating is a great tool for dating things that were once alive. However, the half-life of Carbon-14 is 5,730 years. This means that after something has been dead for over 50,000 years, there is virtually no Carbon-14 left to date. This is why Carbon dating can't be used on dinosaurs (or diamonds) - no Carbon-14 remains.
Also, Carbon dating is not an appropriate tool for dating most rocks for two reasons. First, most rocks don't have abundant Carbon-14 when they formed. Second, most rocks are very, very old. Fortunately, there are many other appropriate tools that scientists can use to date rocks. Jesse is definitely the expert in the room in this discussion. His research involves different dating methods that he's been using for years. We hope you enjoy the discussion.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
After Listening back on this episode (both the short and the full interview), my wife and I had a conversation. I asked her what she thought. Her reply was that she was full of hope after listening. Join us as we have an incredible conversation with Ashley Grosh. She is Vice President of the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program which is designed to find and fund innovators working to bring climate technology solutions to the market. She worked at Wells Fargo for 15 years where she managed a $100 million impact program and was largely involved as a thought leader in the company's overall ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and sustainable finance strategies and commitments.
Ashely is a former athlete and avid sports fan. She played Division 1 soccer for University of Colorado. She now coaches soccer for Colorado Elevation FC - academy soccer program. Team sports, and the lessons one can learn, have always been a huge part of her life. In the Short episode, Ashley talks about the parallels between team sports and professional teams. She also wanted to sneak in some geology to the conversation by talking about a new way to mine from the seafloor. Here is the link that was alluded to in the episode: https://impossiblemining.com/
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Soccer, Mining, and Investing: Ashley Grosh of Breakthrough Energy Fellows
00:09:40
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
After Listening back on this episode (both the short and the full interview), my wife and I had a conversation. I asked her what she thought. Her reply was that she was full of hope after listening. Join us as we have an incredible conversation with Ashley Grosh. She is Vice President of the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program which is designed to find and fund innovators working to bring climate technology solutions to the market. She worked at Wells Fargo for 15 years where she managed a $100 million impact program and was largely involved as a thought leader in the company's overall ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and sustainable finance strategies and commitments.
Ashely is a former athlete and avid sports fan. She played Division 1 soccer for University of Colorado. She now coaches soccer for Colorado Elevation FC - academy soccer program. Team sports, and the lessons one can learn, have always been a huge part of her life. In the Short episode, Ashley talks about the parallels between team sports and professional teams. She also wanted to sneak in some geology to the conversation by talking about a new way to mine from the seafloor. Here is the link that was alluded to in the episode: https://impossiblemining.com/
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Badlands National Park is a spectacular place to visit! If you are traveling to the Rocky Mountains, it is a great stop to get started.
Fossils are everywhere in the Badlands National Park, and the rocks have really amazing colorations to them.
However, badlands are a geologic feature! There are a few specific things required to form badlands and we discuss those key traits, as well as some of the basic principles of badlands generally.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Devils Tower National Monument is a must see on any road trip in South Dakota! In fact, you can think of Chris Bolhuis while you are listening, as he is currently teaching 26 lucky high school students at Devils Tower at the moment!
The geology of this amazing spectacle has it all - beautiful sedimentary rocks, unique volcanic rocks, and great columnar joints that make the Tower look utterly striking.
Devils Tower is a unique rock called a phonolite, and it represents some part of an ancient volcano's plumbing system - a 40 million year old volcano!
As usual Like, Subscribe, and leave us a Rating, but don't forget to share PlanetGeo with someone you know!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Earth's Leaky Core and Michigan Geology - Your Questions Part 1
00:41:01
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Thank you Cathy and Matt for the excellent questions! Cathy sent us a question associated with This Article and Matt asked about Michigan geology (perhaps not knowing the long-winded answer he was in for!).
We received a TON of excellent questions from you all so we will have a Part 2 coming out soon - stay tuned to hear answers to your questions!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Lithium is only becoming more important to our society, and demand for lithium continues to skyrocket since it is used in everything from Tesla batteries to ceramics. Your phone has ~3g of lithium in it!
We cover the geology of lithium in this episode - where it occurs and why!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Magma Oceans and Triple Junctions - Listener Questions Part 2!
00:32:48
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Thank you Valeria, Chelsea and Natalia for the excellent questions! Keep them coming!
Today we answer some of your very interesting geoscience questions ranging from how the moon formed to what's going on in Vinicunca Peru!
We talk about the Mendocino Triple Junction, one of the most rapidly rising places on Earth, the magma ocean's that formed the moon, and how sedimentary rocks can get such spectacularly beautiful coloring to them!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Today we talk about the basic Principles of Geology - the basic observations that allow us to put geologic events in a relative order of when they occurred.
The five principles are 1) Superposition, 2) Original Horizontality, 3) Cross-cutting Relationships, 4) Inclusions, and 5) Correlation/Continuity.
Armed with these five rules, you can understand a lot more about the history of the world around you!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Sand comes from chemical and/or physical weathering of rocks, and is critically important to our society!
Most sand formation begins in the soil - soil has water to further break down the pieces. And the location where sand is formed plays a really important role in how useful sand is for concrete and ceramics. Most beach sand and desert sand is too rounded to be used!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Great Rocks, Summer Excursions, and Confusing Minerals
00:37:48
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
After a long break from recording, Chris and Jesse return to our studios to discuss our extremely busy summer. Jesse recaps his trip to Hawaii where he saw some amazing geology. He also talks about teaching field camp in Idaho to some of the Penn State undergrads. His favorite though, was continuing his field research in the Northwest Territories of Canada. He and his PhD student collected over 1,000 pounds of rocks. When asked about his favorite rocks seen this summer, Jesse didn't hesitate - the ancient rocks in Northern Canada. The toothpaste rocks won out over the much younger pahoehoe rocks of Hawaii.
Chris talked about taking 26 high school seniors out West for 3 weeks on the field course that he teaches. They went to the South Dakota Badlands, Black Hills, Devils Tower, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park. The floods that ravaged Yellowstone in early June didn't prevent the students from learning about the incredible geology of Yellowstone. Following this, Chris returned to the West with his family to hike and climb. They went to the flatirons of Red Rocks and then on to Long's Peak. The Long's Peak granite was easily his favorite rock of the summer. The rock is interesting because it is a porphyritic granite. The huge phenocrysts are peculiar because they are not randomly oriented. Instead, they are aligned in a preferred direction which is a topic of current research. After leaving Colorado, Chris and family spent the next two weeks banging around in the Tetons.
We wrap up the episode by discussing a couple of mineral pairs that can be confusing to identify in the field. Join us as we have a casual conversation about some incredible geology!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Arches are an amazing geologic feature and they occur in very high density in Arches National Park - located in Utah!
In this episode we discuss the regional geology of the area, the Paradox Basin, and then get into some of the detailed processes that form arches throughout the park!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
536 AD was not a good year to be to be a human - especially in Eastern Europe. Below are some written descriptions of what it was like:
Michael the Syrian, wrote: "[T]he sun became dark and its darkness lasted for one and a half years [...] Each day it shone for about four hours and still this light was only a feeble shadow [...] the fruits did not ripen and the wine tasted like sour grapes."
A prefect of Italy at the time, wrote: "so we have had a winter without storms, spring without mildness, summer without heat."
A roman politician wrote: “the sun had a buish color, the moon lost its luster and the seasons seem to be jumbled up together.
Global temperatures fell by 2.5 degrees C (5 degrees F) on average. The culprit was an Icelandic volcano that began eruption in early 536 AD. This was punctuated by another eruption in 540, the bubonic plague in 541, and another eruption in 547 to round out one of the worst decades to be alive on Earth. All of these events caused a combined effect that took the planet over a hundred years to recover.
In this episode, we discuss a little about the geology of Icelandic volcanoes and why they are so diverse. However, the main focus is on the process of scientific discovery. We dive into ice core analysis and tree ring data that helped researchers piece together the puzzle.
Join Jesse and Chris as we discuss what might have been the worst year, decade, or century to be a human in modern times.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
The Doomsday Glacier - Professor Richard Alley Part 2
01:02:20
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
This is a link to the video of the Quick Clay Slide at Dissa video Dr. Alley references. This shows what can also happen to a glacier when it loses it's toe-hold as described in this episode.
Dr. Richard Alley is a renowned glaciologist and paleoclimate scientist. He is also widely regarded as one of the best professors at Penn State University. Below is a list of his impressive credentials:
National Academy of Sciences
Foreign Member of the Royal Society
Evan Pugh University Professorship
Penn State’s top teaching award
Presidential Young Investigator Award
Earth - the Operator’s Manual -
Briefed senators, international legislators, and a sitting US Vice President
Published an unbelievable >310 papers/books/etc
Join us as we discuss climate change, glaciers, and sea level. Much of his current research is on a Western Antarctic glacier called Thwaites Glacier. It's been dubbed the doomsday glacier because of its likely impact on sea level. Alley is a gifted speaker and uses incredible analogies to paint a vivid picture.
Another big part of the discussion is how Carbon is the thermostat control knob for our atmosphere. We hope you enjoy the discussion. We did!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Earth: The Operator's Manual - Professor Richard Alley Part 1
00:12:28
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Dr. Richard Alley is a renowned glaciologist and paleoclimate scientist. He is also widely regarded as one of the best professors at Penn State University. Below is a list of his impressive credentials:
National Academy of Sciences
Foreign Member of the Royal Society
Evan Pugh University Professorship
Penn State’s top teaching award
Presidential Young Investigator Award
Earth - the Operator’s Manual -
Briefed senators, international legislators, and a sitting US Vice President
Published an unbelievable >310 papers/books/etc
Join us as we discuss climate change, glaciers, and sea level. Much of his current research is on a Western Antarctic glacier called Thwaites Glacier. It's been dubbed the doomsday glacier because of its likely impact on sea level. Alley is a gifted speaker and uses incredible analogies to paint a vivid picture.
Another big part of the discussion is how Carbon is the thermostat control knob for our atmosphere. We hope you enjoy the discussion. We did!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Capturing Carbon - The Basics of Carbon Capture and Storage
00:36:45
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
In this episode, we dive into a very important topic that will play an increasing role in the climate change crisis. Carbon (CO2) capture and storage (CCS) is a big geoscience problem, and a possible solution to climate change. But, we need to understand these two terms well - it’s all about making rocks!
The oceans capture carbon for us, but we want to help this process along. In order to do that, we need to find ways to concentrate the Carbon because it's in such a low overall concentration in the atmosphere. We discuss some of the ways companies are trying to speed up the concentration process.
Once the Carbon is captured, we need to find ways to store it. Rocks such as limestone in the ocean is a natural way for Carbon storage. Again, we discuss some of the creative ways companies are researching to effectively store the captured carbon. We hope you enjoy our discussion on the very important topic.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Today, we are very excited to launch campGEO - our conversational textbook to help you learn geology.
This is a structured and image-based approach to learning. Geology is a visual field, so you need images to fully understand what we are talking about! Now you have them. Login to campGEO using the common social media logins, and access all our content for free!
You can also visit our website CampCourses where you can find the link and a QR code to share.
Remember, if you like what we do here, share with your friends, leave us a rating and a review, and follow us on social media!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Don't Take it For Granite - Geology of Countertops
00:37:21
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
In this episode, we tackle the confusing industry of "granite" countertops. It's confusing because it seems as though all rock countertops are called "granite". However, to a geologist, granite is a very specific type of rock and only a small percentage of countertops are actually granite.
There are maybe 5 or so major rock types that are all found in the "granite" countertop category. We spend some time talking about each major type:
Marble - this might be named accurately actually in most places. Is it very white with no distinct grains showing? Then it is probably marble. Especially if it has long dark wavys streaks
Granite - there is some real granite in there! Does it have pink, white, grey, and a few black flecks in it? Most of the grains are smaller than your fingernail? Then it may actually be granite. Can be white - no pink, too. Has to have some black flecks and some gray too.
Pegmatite - Does it have really really large grains? The size of your finger? Grey, white, black, with crazy textures in between them? It might be a pegmatite
Schist/gneiss - does it have a definite texture and pattern in one direction? Are their little waves of light and dark wavy patterns? Are there big deep purple garnets in it or blue flakes? What about dark and light bands with an overall darker color? It could be gneiss or schist.
Conglomerate - does it have a bunch of round or oblong grains in it of a variety of colors? Could be a conglomerate - these are spectacular.
There are others to be sure. These are just the most common.
We also talk about another type that is growing in popularity - Quartz counters. They aren't actually quartz though. We like this option a lot because it's a green product. No rock was mined for the specific purpose of making countertops. Quartz countertops are a form of engineered stone, made from ground-up particles of stone bound together with plastic resins. About 90% of the material is Crushed up waste granite, marble, and natural stone or recycled industrial wastes such as ceramic, silica, glass, mirrors, etc.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Today, we get to interview author Kevin Krajick. Below is a small sample of his credentials and accolades.
Senior Editor Science News Communications, Columbia Climate School
Author at State of the Planet
Work has been featured in National Geographic, Newsweek, The New Yorker, Science, Smithsonian Mag, etc
Two time Winner of the American Geophysical Union's Walter Sullivan Award - excellence in science journalism
Finalist for the National Magazine Award for Public Service
We were interested in interviewing Kevin because of his book on Searching for diamonds in the Northwest Territories in Canada. This is a place near and dear to Jesse's heart because he does a lot of research up there. The book is exceptional and reads more like a novel mainly because of two featured individuals: Chuck Fipke and Stewart (Stu) Blusson. They are both Canadian geologists, prospectors, businessmen, helicopter pilot, etc. Check the link below for the book.
In addition to writing this book, Kevin is a writer for the Columbia Climate School (https://news.climate.columbia.edu/). He has written on an impressive array of topic from climate, Earth science, and society.
We hope you enjoy this interesting interview. Cheers.
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Remember you can Support Us Here, and share PlanetGeo with your friends and family!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Today, we get to interview author Kevin Krajick. Below is a small sample of his credentials and accolades.
Senior Editor Science News Communications, Columbia Climate School
Author at State of the Planet
Work has been featured in National Geographic, Newsweek, The New Yorker, Science, Smithsonian Mag, etc
Two time Winner of the American Geophysical Union's Walter Sullivan Award - excellence in science journalism
Finalist for the National Magazine Award for Public Service
We were interested in interviewing Kevin because of his book on Searching for diamonds in the Northwest Territories in Canada. This is a place near and dear to Jesse's heart because he does a lot of research up there. The book is exceptional and reads more like a novel mainly because of two featured individuals: Chuck Fipke and Stewart (Stu) Blusson. They are both Canadian geologists, prospectors, businessmen, helicopter pilot, etc. Check the link below for the book.
In addition to writing this book, Kevin is a writer for the Columbia Climate School (https://news.climate.columbia.edu/). He has written on an impressive array of topic from climate, Earth science, and society.
We hope you enjoy this interesting interview. Cheers.
Remember you can Support Us Here, and share PlanetGeo with your friends and family!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
One day, I (Chris) walked into class and announced that we were beginning plate tectonics. I was so excited to begin teaching this content. The response from my students was not at all what I expected. They let me know that they had all the plate tectonics they could handle in middle school and there wasn't anything left to learn. They knew the 3 basic types of plate boundaries (kind of) - divergent, convergent, and the T-one. I then started asking deeper level questions that tested their ability to apply this huge theory to make sense of the world around them.
During lunch that day, I began writing a series of questions about the unifying theory of plate tectonics. Needless to say, their understanding was skin deep and that's totally Okay. I wanted to show that we can take a basic understanding and use it to make so much more sense of our world.
That "event" gave me the idea to do a series on PlanetGeo covering a deep dive into plate tectonics. Jesse was not easy to convince. He felt like it was too massive. Anyway, I won and here comes the series. In this episode, we answer the following questions: 1. How does plate tectonics explain the formation of basalt? 2. How does plate tectonics explain the formation of andesite? 3. How does plate tectonics explain the formation of granite?
We hope you enjoy!
Remember you can Support Us Here, and share PlanetGeo with your friends and family!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Remember you can Support Us Here, and share PlanetGeo with your friends and family!
Cate - aka - groovygeologist is a geo-communicator. She utilizes the power of the internet to bring geology education to the masses. She has a B.S. in geology and a passion for teaching. Cate has her hands in a lot of things. She hosts a weekly livestream called Rocks and Hops where she teaches more structured lessons while drinking a craft beer. She also hosts a podcast called The Schist of It.
Jesse and Chris ran into Cate at the GSA meetings in Denver this past October. We knew right away that this would be a great opportunity to look at geoscience education in a very unique way. We hope you enjoy this entertaining interview.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
In today's episode, we continue with our series on 'So... You think you know plate tectonics?' - Part 2.
Can you answer the following questions? 1- How do sedimentary rocks relate to plate tectonics? 2- How does plate tectonics explain or relate to the formation of metamorphic rocks? 3- How does plate tectonics relate to the formation of very important mineral resources?
Jesse and Chris have a casual conversation centered around relating these questions to plate tectonics. We would love feedback and / or listener questions regarding this episode or the series in general. Enjoy!
Remember you can Support Us Here, and share PlanetGeo with your friends and family!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Volcanoes Revisited: Part 1 - Volcanologist Dr. Diana Roman
00:46:51
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
We are on a break! But, we have so much great volcanology content from past episodes and interviews, we decided to release them all in a sequence. Four parts will be coming at you over the next few weeks, with interviews from some of the top volcanologists out there in the field. Let us know what you think!
Remember you can Support Us Here, and share PlanetGeo with your friends and family!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Volcanoes Revisited: Part 2 - Dr. Andrew Calvert ReRelease
00:55:11
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
We are on a break! But, we have so much great volcanology content from past episodes and interviews, we decided to release them all in a sequence. Four parts will be coming at you over the next few weeks, with interviews from some of the top volcanologists out there in the field. Let us know what you think!
Remember you can Support Us Here, and share PlanetGeo with your friends and family!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
We are on a break! But, we have so much great volcanology content from past episodes and interviews, we decided to release them all in a sequence. Four parts will be coming at you over the next few weeks, with interviews from some of the top volcanologists out there in the field. Let us know what you think!
Remember you can Support Us Here, and share PlanetGeo with your friends and family!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Volcanoes Revisited: Part 4 - Volcanology Director Tina Neal
01:10:04
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
We are on a break! But, we have so much great volcanology content from past episodes and interviews, we decided to release them all in a sequence. Four parts will be coming at you over the next few weeks, with interviews from some of the top volcanologists out there in the field. Let us know what you think!
Remember you can Support Us Here, and share PlanetGeo with your friends and family!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
We are on a break still, but releasing episodes on the really important elements - where they are found, why the are found there, and why we care about these elements in our society! There is some really interesting stuff in here, so enjoy.
Remember you can Support Us Here, and share PlanetGeo with your friends and family!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
We are on a break still, but releasing episodes on the really important elements - where they are found, why the are found there, and why we care about these elements in our society! There is some really interesting stuff in here, so enjoy.
Remember you can Support Us Here, and share PlanetGeo with your friends and family!
Today we have the great pleasure of talking about a very important topic, while interviewing one of the best and most interesting people we've had the pleasure of speaking with!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
We are on a break still, but releasing episodes on the really important elements - where they are found, why the are found there, and why we care about these elements in our society! There is some really interesting stuff in here, so enjoy.
Remember you can Support Us Here, and share PlanetGeo with your friends and family!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
We are on a break still, but releasing episodes on the really important elements - where they are found, why the are found there, and why we care about these elements in our society! There is some really interesting stuff in here, so enjoy.
Remember you can Support Us Here, and share PlanetGeo with your friends and family!
Lithium is only becoming more important to our society, and demand for lithium continues to skyrocket since it is used in everything from Tesla batteries to ceramics. Your phone has ~3g of lithium in it!
We cover the geology of lithium in this episode - where it occurs and why!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Rare Earth Elements are a huge topic in mining and geology now, and in technology. The most important at the moment is Neodymium (Nd) and it is also really important for geology research. Let’s cover the basics.
In this episode, we discuss Neodymium in two broad concepts: 1- the importance for society and geological research, and 2- the geology of Neodymium.
Some example of the societal importance are that these are the strongest commercially available magnets, they are used in electric and hybrid vehicle motors - the two motors in a Tesla that make it go fast! Toyota Prius said to contain ~ 1kg of Nd in it’s motor, it's used in wind turbines, Buckeyballs (banned because kids kept swallowing them, they're use in MRI machines. These are just a few examples.
Join us in this fun discussion about a very important REE.
Remember you can Support Us Here, and share PlanetGeo with your friends and family!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
In today's episode, we continue with our series on 'So... You think you know plate tectonics?' - Part 3. We tackle these questions regarding Planetary Tectonics:
What would the Earth look like if PT was not an active process?
Mars has all of the solar system’s largest volcanoes. Why?
Is there granite on other planets?
No water, no granites, no oceans, no continents
Why does PT make Earth a beautiful planet?
We also discuss some future episode ideas that happened to come up during the discussion - like doing an episode series on the Carbon Cycle.
We hope you enjoy! Remember you can Support Us Here, and share PlanetGeo with your friends and family!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Do you like wine? Do you know what Terroir is? Our guest, Brenna Quigley, is a leader in the geology of wine and how the geology affects the flavor profile of the grapes - in other words, Terroir! She can be found here to learn more!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
When Did Plate Tectonics Begin? Plate Tectonics Part 4
00:53:15
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
In this episode, we tackle the issue of when plate tectonics started on Earth and why this is an important question. This is a large part of Jesse's research so he has a lot to say. In order to address this question, we first discuss some parameters and what defines plate tectonics.
We also get into some detail by discussing some variations on the plate tectonics model: Things like sagduction, squishy-lid tectonics, stagnant lid tectonics and episodic tectonics to name a few.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
New minerals are being 'discovered' every year, and there are press articles about them all the time! In this episode we go behind the scenes and dive into what it takes to name a mineral, where new minerals are being found, and why it's important to our everyday lives.
We hope you enjoy, and as usual please send us any questions you have!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Rock Man Ethan is a geoscience communicator and producer of the What's Inside That Rock video series - you can find Ethan on all the social media channels (TikTok, Instagram, Twitter) @rockmanethan. Make sure to check him out!
We hope you enjoy, and as usual please send us any questions you have!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
So You Think You Know Plate Tectonics? Part 6 - Interior of the Earth
00:39:40
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com Today, Jesse has a bone to pick with Chris. After he gets some issues off his chest, we tackle the topics of Internal Dynamics and Plate Tectonics. Specifically:
What is the interior structure of the Earth? Chemistry/ physical behavior
How do we know the interior structure of the Earth?
Why is the hottest layer of the Earth a solid?
Why is the LOC liquid?
What are the 4 main mechanisms for PT?
We hope you enjoy, and as usual please send us any questions you have!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
So You Think You Know Plate Tectonics? Part 7 - Rocks and Climate
00:32:45
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Today, we talk about Rocks and climate. Specifically, we discuss the ways that ancient rocks would have interacted with our ancient atmosphere. We begin by talking a little about the Carbon Cycle and how it's affected by plate tectonics. We then discuss some ways that experimental researchers are making rocks in the lab and studying the ways that changing gas compositions affect the oxidation state of mafic minerals.
We hope you enjoy, and as usual please send us any questions you have!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO! Available here: geo.campcourses.com
In this episode, Chris and Jesse give a live talk at Grand Valley State University. We were invited to speak by the student chapter of the AAPG - American Association of Petroleum Geologists. They were interested in hearing our "story" about how each of us came into the geoscience field and how PlanetGeo came about. There was also a Q and A session where we were asked a variety of questions that spanned many topics.
We hope you enjoy, and as usual please send us any questions you have!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Observing Yellowstone National Park - Scientist-in-Charge Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Dr. Mike Poland
01:10:16
In this episode, Chris and Jesse give a live talk at Grand Valley State University. We were invited to speak by the student chapter of the AAPG - American Association of Petroleum Geologists. They were interested in hearing our "story" about how each of us came into the geoscience field and how PlanetGeo came about. There was also a Q and A session where we were asked a variety of questions that spanned many topics.
We hope you enjoy, and as usual please send us any questions you have!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
In this episode, we take on the topic of Barrier Islands. This is a very relevant topic because recent storms have devastated some of these Islands. The intersection between geology and humans is always an interesting topic. Barrier Islands need three things:
Sand supply
Broad sloping coastline
Waves/tides/currents must be strong enough to move sand (high-ish energy)
Waves must be dominant
In this context we discuss the 3 ways in which they form. Each Island has it's own unique story and all 3 scenarios play a role.
We also discuss the function of Barrier Islands in terms of protecting the mainland and also unique biological habitats.
We hope you enjoy, and as usual please send us any questions you have!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Join us today as we discuss one of the more important ancient rock formations - Banded Iron Formations or otherwise known as BIF's in the geologic community. Wherever found, they provide us with Iron ore - some of the best on the planet. In this episode, we delve into the geologic story of how these important and beautiful rocks formed. There is some newer research that has altered some earlier thinking on BIF formation. We hope you enjoy.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Today, we answer some listener questions in what we call "office hours". We each chose a question for the other to answer. We did not know what questions we would be asked so our answers were on the fly. Jesse asks Chris a question from Joyce (his mom) about a new word that she needs to know. Chris chose paleomagnetism. Then, Jesse asked a more serious question regarding the potential for humans to influence the chemistry of magma in the geologic future.
Chris chose a question from Ava regarding the origin of slab pull as a mechanism for plate tectonics. We hope you enjoy!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
The Geology of Oakland - Andrew Alden author of Deep Oakland
00:50:53
In this episode, we interview author Andrew Alden. He wrote Deep Oakland: How Geology Shaped a City. This book is a wonderful read and it offers a unique lens in which to view a city. Jesse and Chris both think that this idea should become a series - much like the Roadside Geology series.
Andrew talks about his motivation for the monumental task. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that shook the city of San Francisco and kind of woke him up to the idea. Deep Oakland is an intricate story involving the intersection of geology and humanity. Specifically, geology determined early decisions in the planning of Oakland. Join us in this interesting conversation.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
In this episode, we talk about meandering streams. Why don't rivers flow in straight paths? As soon as a river flattens out, it begins to meander. It’s these meanders that manage the energy of the water. How? They really do 2 things: 1- they increase the resistance (physics) and 2- they decrease the gradient. Essentially, the river is changing itself to minimize the energy it expends to maintain a state of equilibrium. We also get into some detail. Meanders are not random. They are directly related to the width of the river and also the radius of the meander curvature. It's a really cool aspects to river morphology.
We also talk about things that can start meanders. And finally, we briefly discuss one of geology's more beautiful features - entrenched meanders. We hope you enjoy!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
In this episode, we talk about meandering streams. Why don't rivers flow in straight paths? As soon as a river flattens out, it begins to meander. It’s these meanders that manage the energy of the water. How? They really do 2 things: 1- they increase the resistance (physics) and 2- they decrease the gradient. Essentially, the river is changing itself to minimize the energy it expends to maintain a state of equilibrium. We also get into some detail. Meanders are not random. They are directly related to the width of the river and also the radius of the meander curvature. It's a really cool aspects to river morphology.
We also talk about things that can start meanders. And finally, we briefly discuss one of geology's more beautiful features - entrenched meanders. We hope you enjoy!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Office Hours - Back-to-School and Mass Spectrometers
00:25:37
Today, Jesse and Chris take on a couple of listener questions. One is regarding a passion for geoscience and would like to know our opinion on returning to school for a trajectory change.
The other question is more for Jesse. It regards recent changes in mass spectrometry so we re-visit this important topic. We hope you enjoy.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Today, Jesse and Chris discuss a headline that's been making a splash lately. There was a paper recently published that looked into why some areas of New York City appear to be sinking. We took this as an opportunity to discuss an important geologic concept - Isostasy or Isostic Adjustment. Our conversation spanned glaciers, mountains, and cities. We hope you enjoy. Below is a link to the published paper. I've also included a link to one of the articles written about the published paper.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
A Geologist in National Defense - Dr. Stefanie Tompkins - Director of DARPA
00:51:37
Today we are extremely honored to get the opportunity to discuss all things geoscience and National Defense with Dr. Stefanie Tompkins, the Director of DARPA! Dr. Tompkins is the first Presidential Appointee we have ever had on our podcast and in this interview she clearly shows why she has achieved such an incredible level of success in her career.
With Dr. Tompkins we discuss the value of geoscience training, the role of research funding, and how varied geoscience careers can become. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
In PlanetGeo today, we discuss one aspect of Yellowstone National Park Geology that goes under-appreciated - the Absaroka Volcanics. They are a geological curiosity, but a massive one at that - the volume of volcanic rocks produced by the Absaroka volcanoes dwarfs the Yellowstone hotspot.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Uranium is a really interesting element and today we talk about how it's used, a bit about nuclear reactors, then dive into the geology. Uranium has two major oxidation states, 4+ and 6+ and the chemical differences between these really drive how Uranium deposits form!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Today we talk about the fun exercise of turning seismic activity recorded live from Yellowstone National Park, turning it into musical notes, and playing it for a live audience! As usual, we get into the geology behind the story!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
In this episode we start a looong conversation about how to identify rocks. We begin by outlining a few simple rules to go by, and how to start to think about identifying rocks when you find them out in the world!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Today, we cover one of our favorite past times - RockHounding! It's a totally fun, engaging activity that gets you outside and learning about nature. And, who knows, you might find something spectacular along the way!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Today, we cover something very interesting - a new initiative by the United States Geological Survey to map Earth's resources at a new level. Geology is newly relevant to society and. some people argue we are entering a new 'golden age' of geology - how exciting!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Just as in so many aspects of the way the world works, geology determines the drainage patterns (or watershed) of rivers. Today, we discuss the major types of drainage patterns - they're not random and we also get into how the geology at the surface determines this shape. This is a continuation of our series on water.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Today, we talk about all things soil creep. Have you ever been on a steep slope and seen bent or curved trees, slanted fence posts, slanted headstones or signs? Look closely and you can often see the surface has a rippled appearance. Soil Creep is a form of what we call Mass Wasting in Geology. Mud flows, avalanche, and rockfall are also examples of Mass Wasting. Creep just happens very, very slowly. Join us and learn how this fascinating process works!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Geoscience Careers #1 - Renewable Consulting with Andrew DeWitt
01:05:21
Today we have the great pleasure to interview a close friend of the podcast - Andrew Dewitt. Andrew has had a long career in the environmental consulting industry and provides insights into what it take to be a geoscientist working in this field and gives lots of excellent advice. This is a must-listen episode for any aspiring young geoscientist.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Today, we are talking about the process of making petrified wood. Basically, wood has to be quickly buried in a wet setting where the water is also saturated in certain minerals - usually silica. Also, there must be little oxygen present or oxidation reactions have to occur to use up all of the available oxygen. This prevents the wood from getting eaten by decomposers. We will also get into the geologic settings where this is likely to occur.
Finally, we talk a little about how we come up with ages of petrified wood and use this to kick off a series on Geochronology. Enjoy!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Today, we each give our take on disappearing streams. When the idea was first pitched, we were thinking about 2 different things. The result - we talked about each. Join us as we continue our series on water.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
We get a bit reflective today and discuss the importance of Geoscience to society - and how it has changed in the last three years. Jesse recently went to a conference on economic mining and came away newly excited. If the world is going to make the energy transition, certain elements are critical in allowing us to meet that demand. Today, we talk about the issues surrounding the energy transition and how geoscientists are playing an integral role (and will continue to do so) in society. We hope you enjoy!
If you are interested in Yellowstone National Park, or want to learn all the basics of geology, visit our newly updated CampGEO content, including a new Geology of Yellowstone National Park, available now at our web app - here!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Today, Jesse and Chris discuss the distinction between sinkholes and karst topography. There is a surprisingly large portion of the U.S. that has potential to be affected by karst. It is also extremely important as a source of drinking water. We also discuss the distinction between the technical definition of karst and what is called pseudokarst. Below is a link to the article and diagram we allude to in the show. We hope you enjoy.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
This week, we are asking you to do us a favor. We are really exited because we just launched our brand new campGeo mobile app. So, we would really appreciate if you clicked on This Link, downloaded the campGeo mobile app, and left us a rating and review on there.
This week we talk about the origin of this concept, why we are excited about this mobile app, and what types of content can be found there today. Also, if you have suggestions for new types of visual audiobooks please send us an email! Or, if you have a better name for these things than 'visual audiobooks' let us know that too (we are horrible at naming things...)!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
In this episode, we tackle the issue of infiltration capacity. The idea came to us in the form of a listener question due to recent events. Infiltration capacity is simply a way of describing the ability of soil and regolith to soak up water during storm events that drop a lot of rain in a short period of time. There are several variables that must be accounted for in describing the infiltration capacity for a given area. Humans have also caused a significant change related to this topic. Join us in this fun conversation that has a lot of relevance in todays world.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Today, Jesse and Chris tackle the topic of the Slow Carbon Cycle. We've been talking about this for a while now. This is a very complicate cycle that involves many variables. In this episode, we work through some scenarios such as the Himalayan uplift and plug them into the Carbon Cycle. It's a little bit of mental gymnastics. The ingredients for the Carbon Cycle to operate are freshly exposed rock, water (both in the oceans and the atmosphere), and plate tectonics. If one of these variables is taken out, the Carbon Cycle ceases.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Cure the Winter Blues - Badlands National Park (ReRelease)
00:49:57
We are on a break, but you can join us now on a virtual Summer Science Institute trip! Follow the virtual Mr. Bolhuis as we go on a geo-tour of many of the premier National Parks in the US.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Cure the Winter Blues - The Black Hills (ReRelease)
00:50:19
We are on a break, but you can join us now on a virtual Summer Science Institute trip! Follow the virtual Mr. Bolhuis as we go on a geo-tour of many of the premier National Parks in the US.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Cure the Winter Blues - Devil's Tower National Monument (ReRelease)
00:34:55
We are on a break, but you can join us now on a virtual Summer Science Institute trip! Follow the virtual Mr. Bolhuis as we go on a geo-tour of many of the premier National Parks in the US.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Cure the Winter Blues - Grand Teton National Park (ReRelease)
00:44:22
We are on a break, but you can join us now on a virtual Summer Science Institute trip! Follow the virtual Mr. Bolhuis as we go on a geo-tour of many of the premier National Parks in the US.
We are also excited to announce that we have just released a new audiobook on our CampGeo mobile app on Earth's Climate. It's a five-part series with all the images you need to really learn how Earth's climate works and what we can do about some issues we have with it.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Cure the Winter Blues - Yellowstone National Park (ReRelease)
00:45:34
We are on a break, but you can join us now on a virtual Summer Science Institute trip! Follow the virtual Mr. Bolhuis as we go on a geo-tour of many of the premier National Parks in the US.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Cure the Winter Blues - Glacier National Park (ReRelease)
00:43:47
We are on a break, but you can join us now on a virtual Summer Science Institute trip! Follow the virtual Mr. Bolhuis as we go on a geo-tour of many of the premier National Parks in the US.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Cure the Winter Blues - Yosemite National Park (ReRelease)
00:49:27
We are on a break, but you can join us now on a virtual Summer Science Institute trip! Follow the virtual Mr. Bolhuis as we go on a geo-tour of many of the premier National Parks in the US.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
Cure the Winter Blues - The Grand Canyon (ReRelease)
00:40:14
We are happy to announce the release of our new Geology of the Grand Canyon book on the CampGeo mobile app - Download now to start listening!
We are on a break, but you can join us now on a virtual Summer Science Institute trip! Follow the virtual Mr. Bolhuis as we go on a geo-tour of many of the premier National Parks in the US.
On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!
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