PlanetGeo: The Geology Podcast

Download the CampGeo app now at this link . 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! Like, Subscribe, and leave us a Rating! —————————————————— Instagram: @planetgeocast Twitter: @planetgeocast Facebook: @plan...

Download the CampGeo app now at this link . 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! Like, Subscribe, and leave us a Rating! —————————————————— Instagram: @planetgeocast Twitter: @planetgeocast Facebook: @plan...

Today we talk about Copper! The metal that is essential to all our lives, but goes largely underrated. Here is a link to the article Chris references in the podcast talking about the sources of copper deposits.  Download the CampGeo app now at this link . 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...

Download the CampGeo app now at this link . 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! Like, Subscribe, and leave us a Rating! —————————————————— Instagram: @planetgeocast Twitter: @planetgeocast Facebook: @plan...

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...

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 a...

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 transiti...

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. Download the CampGeo app now at this link . 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...

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.  Download the CampGeo app now at this link . On th...

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 th...

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...

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. Download the CampGeo app now at this link . On the app you can get tons o...

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!  Download the CampGeo app now at this link . On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to...

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!  Download the CampGeo app now at this link . On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also lear...

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!  Download the CampGeo app now at this link . 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 bas...

Listen to Yellowstone's rock music here ! 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!  Download the CampGeo app now at this link . On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to...

Today, we talk about Uranium! 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!  Download the CampGeo app now at this link . On the app you can get tons of free content, exclu...

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.  Download the CampGeo app now at this link . On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, an...

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 geosc...

Today we talk all about Levees!  They are a very important and under-appreciated aspect of our society, infrastructure, and river systems! Here is a link to the excellent article that we mention in the podcast. Please let us know if you have questions! Levee Link Download the CampGeo app now at this link . On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of...

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 th...

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. Download the CampGeo app now at this link . On the app you can get t...

Here is a link to the paper we discuss in this episode: 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...

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...

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 th...