PlanetGeo: The Geology Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The History of Granite - Dr. Mike Ackerson Mar 28, 2024

Show notes

In charge of the Nations Rock Collection. That's a pretty sweet job description. Join us as we have the honor of interviewing Dr. Mike Ackerson. In this episode, we certainly get into some detail about igneous petrology. Mike and Jesse are good friends and have spent some time discussing things that introductory geology classes take for granted. For instance, there are some questions on the formation of granite. This might seem ridiculous because this topic is covered in any intro level geology class, but there are some problems.
We also talk philosophically about geoscience education and scientific research. In all, this discussion spans too many areas to summarize here. We hope you enjoy!

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The Devil's Metal - The Geology of Nickel Mar 21, 2024

Show notes

Today, Jesse and Chris discuss the geology of Nickel - The Devil’s Metal. Surprisingly, Earth’s core has a high percentage of Nickel - 10 to 20% of the core is nickel. We allow ourselves the luxury of getting into the details on nickel and why the core has so much. Of all the metals we’ve discussed on the podcast, the geology of nickel is the most complicated. In addition to discussing the geologic settings that form or concentrate nickel, we also spend some time discussing the history and uses. We hope you enjoy the discussion.

Geology From Above - Dr. Anji Shah Mar 14, 2024

Show notes

Today, we have the another great interview - Dr. Anji Shah. She works for the USGS and has done a lot of work on heavy-mineral sands and critical elements. In this discussion, we talk about the paleo-environment that could concentrate critical minerals in heavy sands. Dr. Shah also tells us how "airborn geophysics" is important in looking for mineral deposits over huge areas that are often canopy covered. We hope you enjoy!

The Fast Carbon Cycle Mar 07, 2024

Show notes

The Geology of Asbestos Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Jesse and Chris discuss the geology of asbestos. Really, we cover all things related - history, past uses (some of which are mind boggling), health issues, and of course the mineralogy. If you want the datail, this episode is for you. Jesse goes off the deep end a little as he nerds out on some geochemistry. We hope you enjoy.

We Just Don't Have Enough - Prof. Adam Simon Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

Dr. Adam Simon joins PlanetGeo to discuss many topics. One of the most interesting topics of discussion is the copper dilemma facing the world. If we want to transition to green energy like Electric Vehicles, we will face a shortage of copper. Dr. Simon describes Copper as the artery of a green transition. However, he's done the math and it doesn't add up. There isn't enough to make the transition. We hope you enjoy this extremely informative and entertaining interview.

How Do Rocks Really Crystallize? Feb 15, 2024

Show notes

Today, Chris and Jesse once again revisit the topic of Bowen's Reaction Series. We've never approached the topic in such a before. The heart of our discussion centers around 1- What is Bowen's Reaction Series? and 2- How do we approach this highly idealized concept in an introductory class. How rocks really crystallize in a geologic setting is far more complex than Bowen's Reaction Series. This can lead to confusion when students progress in their geologic studies when they learn that Bowen's is the whole story (or even the correct story). We hope you enjoy this technical and philosophical discussion.

Why is Water "Hard"? Feb 08, 2024

Show notes

Today is our latest episode in our series on climate. Jesse and Chris discuss the meaning of "Hard Water". Chris and Jesse both have hard water at our houses and we talk about how that happens. We wrap up this episode by talking about how the topic of hard water fits into our series and climate. We hope you enjoy!

Exploration and Mining Geology - Dr. Steph Mrozek Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

Join us as we interview Dr. Steph Mrozek. Steph is an economic geologist with interests in interests in skarn and porphyry deposits and geochemistry applied to mineral exploration. In our interview, the discussion turns to degrees in geoscience and educational pursuits. We’ve received a number of questions from listeners about what degree to pursue and how far to go. Steph offers unique perspectives on this topic that many of our listeners will find very useful.

Then our discussion turns to a niche geologic topic - Skarns. Jesse and I learned a ton. We (Jesse and I) have some personal experience with Skarn deposits, but Steph is the expert in the room for sure.

In the end, we have an in depth discussion about a career in exploration and mining geology. This episode has so much to offer. Listeners will learn about a topic that many aren’t familiar with and will also learn about the life and times of an exploration geologist. We know you will enjoy this episode.

The Epic Earthlings Grand Canyon Questions - Answered! Jan 25, 2024

Show notes

Join Chris and Jesse as we tackle questions about the Grand Canyon. A 4th grade class, Bronx Little School, reached out in a letter with a list of fantastic questions. We knew right away we wanted to make an episode about this. These questions, and our responses, provide a great introduction to the geology of The Grand Canyon. Below are the questions - asked and answered:
1. How deep is the Grand Canyon?
2- Why are the rocks orange, red, and black? How were the rocks made?
3- Why is the Grand Canyon so steep?
4- How old is each layer in the Grand Canyon?
5- They didn't ask this question, but Jesse and I couldn't resist. So we posed the question: How did the Grand Canyon get cut? Maybe one of these awesome students will find the answer.
We hope you all enjoy learning a little more about one of the Natural Wonders of the World. Cheers