PlanetGeo: The Geology Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Energy and Climate Part 3: Ancient Nuclear Reactors (Re-Release). Dec 16, 2021

Show notes

This is Part III of our re-released Climate and Energy series! We are on a break right now, but there is always great geoscience information to learn about!
Did you know that nuclear fission reactions are natural? Uranium fission drives many types of nuclear power plants as well as nuclear weapons. However, these types of reactions occurred on Earth naturally, just billions of years ago. Today, we discuss the Oklo natural fission reactors in Gabon, Africa.
These natural reactors are not only amazingly cool, but they have a really interesting discovery story and they can teach us a lot about the overlap between nuclear physics and geoscience, how uranium deposits form, and what Earth's ancient atmosphere looked like!
These are important for several reasons:

Geology and nuclear physics have a very intimate relationship.
1. Basically all radiometric dating we use on Earth was developed on the back of research on Uranium nuclear physics and research into nuclear weapons/reactors.
Geoscience and national security are intimately related:
1. Nuclear forensics, or using isotope analyses to look for people enriching uranium, use the same techniques and instruments as geochronology
2. Many PhD geoscientists go to work in national security labs/jobs
These natural nuclear reactors help us explain Earth’s history and where Uranium deposits occur.

Another cool feature of these ancient nuclear reactors is that they may have looked much like geysers in Yellowstone National Park! They were moderated by natural groundwater, and they cycled on and off in ~30 minute cycles.
All told, these natural nuclear reactors are one of the single coolest geoscience factoid we know of!

——————————————————
Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ_A82nOMu0nIvZto6zMPqg
Email: planetgeocast@gmail.com
Website: https://planetgeocast.buzzsprout.com/

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: @planetgeocast
Support us: https://planetgeocast.com/support-us
Email: planetgeocast@gmail.com
Website: https://planetgeocast.com/

Energy and Climate Part 2: Professor Michael Mann (Re-Release). Dec 09, 2021

Show notes

Join us as we re-release of our favorite interviews that we have done, with one of the truly great climate scientists and communicators, Professor Michael Mann!
Michael Mann, Distinguished Professor at The Pennsylvania State University, has a long history of studying and discussion climate change. His new book, titled The New Climate War, is out now!
In this episode we interview Mike about his journey in academia, what the new climate war is all about, and what he sees as the best path towards solutions. We discuss how last climate war has ended, what we all can do to fix the problem, and how Dr. Mann sees the future working out.
Remember to leave us a rating and a review, and share PlanetGeo with your friends! Follow us on all the social medias @planetgeocast.
Dr. Michael E. Mann received his undergraduate degrees in Physics and Applied Math from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.S. degree in Physics from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in Geology & Geophysics from Yale University.

Dr. Mann was a Lead Author on the Observed Climate Variability and Change chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Third Scientific Assessment Report in 2001 and was organizing committee chair for the National Academy of Sciences Frontiers of Science in 2003. He has received a number of honors and awards including NOAA's outstanding publication award in 2002 and selection by Scientific American as one of the fifty leading visionaries in science and technology in 2002. He contributed, with other IPCC authors, to the award of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. He was awarded the Hans Oeschger Medal of the European Geosciences Union in 2012 and was awarded the National Conservation Achievement Award for science by the National Wildlife Federation in 2013. He made Bloomberg News' list of fifty most influential people in 2013. In 2014, he was named Highly Cited Researcher by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) and received the Friend of the Planet Award from the National Center for Science Education. He received the Stephen H. Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication from Climate One in 2017, the Award for Public Engagement with Science from the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2018 and the Climate Communication Prize from the American Geophysical Union in 2018. In 2019 he received the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement and in 2020 he received the World Sustainability Award of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation. He was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2020. He is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the American Meteorological Society, the Geological Society of America, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is also a co-founder of the award-winning science website RealClimate.org.

——————————————————
Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Email: planetgeocast@gmail.com
Website: https://planetgeocast.buzzsprout.com/

Energy and Climate Part 1: The Greenhouse Effect (Re-Release). Dec 02, 2021

Show notes

Join us as we discuss the science behind the greenhouse effect and how it all works.
This is a re-release of a much earlier episode. As we take a SHORT break, we decided to release a theme of episodes surrounding Energy and Climate. They are in the news often right now, especially with the COP26 conference. This past fall, we have rising energy costs, wild fires, devastating hurricanes, etc. Energy and climate is on our minds.
In this episode, we talk about the forgotten history of the greenhouse gases. The science behind greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and water is 200 years old. What we began to understand two centuries ago came long before humans had any impact on the composition of our atmosphere and it certainly never occurred to Joseph Fourier and John Tyndall that humans could ever influence the greenhouse effect. The discussion then turns to what scientists know about the greenhouse effect and, more precisely, how it works. This natural phenomenon is a good thing as it makes our planet habitable by keeping it warm and preventing the oceans from freezing.
We then turn our attention to the chemistry of burning fossil fuels using coal, natural gas, and gasoline as examples. The main gases produced by burning fossil fuels are carbon dioxide and water. We use this knowledge to talk about the carbon cycle. By following Carbon atoms as they make their way through the atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere, we can clearly identify a Carbon cycle. Specifically, we discuss a long carbon cycle (can take 100,000's of years for this cycle) and a fast Carbon cycle (years or even seasons). Through this part of our discussion, we have only discussed what science has established as fact. The greenhouse effect, the gases involved, and the ways Earth regulates Carbon in cycles is a good thing for our planet. We can't help but point out that through continued Carbon emissions, humans will upset this balance. In fact, we have a nearby example in Venus as a case study of a runaway greenhouse effect.
We hope you enjoy this episode. We sure had fun making it. Cheers!
——————————————————
Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Email: planetgeocast@gmail.com
Website: https://planetgeocast.buzzsprout.com/

Where to see Yosemite Geoscience (GeoShort) Nov 23, 2021

Show notes

Please leave us a review and rating! Follow us on all the social medias we are @planetgeocast
——————————————————
Website: https://planetgeocast.com
Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Email: planetgeocast@gmail.com

Yosemite National Park Nov 18, 2021

Show notes

Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO!
Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Today, we talk about the geology of Yosemite National Park. Specifically, we dive into 4 different aspects:
1- What's the story behind all this granite?
2- Why do these mountains look the way they do? Glaciers
3- What are all the cracks in the granite about?
4- Rockfall!
The formation of granite is taught in a very traditional way. Magma intrudes deep inside the Earth and then cools slowly as the minerals grow larger. Jesse says that's a very debatable and a hotly researched area now. Jesse schools us on how magma is believed to cool and how we know.
Then we get into the glacial part of Yosemite. There are so many glacial features that are perhaps more obvious here than anywhere. We talk about U-shaped valleys, hanging valleys, horns, and aretes.
Exfoliation is so prevalent here that it is impossible to miss. We get into how exfoliation happens including an example that was caught on Camera - Twain Harte Rock.
Lastly, we end with a brief discussion on the prevalence of Rockfall in YNP. There are many rockfalls - some very large that occur with a stunning frequency.
Please leave us a review and rating! Follow us on all the social medias we are @planetgeocast
——————————————————
Website: https://planetgeocast.com
Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Email: planetgeocast@gmail.com

Can Aliens See Us? Dr. Jackie Faherty Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

Astronomers can detect other planets orbiting around stars in the sky. But, can those planets see us? That's the question, and Dr. Jackie Faherty has answers! This conversation is based on a paper that Dr. Faherty coauthored recently, found here.
We interviewed Dr. Jackie Faherty about it! You can follow Dr. Faherty on Twitter and visit her website to learn more!
Please leave us a review and rating! Follow us on all the social medias we are @planetgeocast
——————————————————
Website: https://planetgeocast.com
Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Email: planetgeocast@gmail.com

Manhatten-henge - Dr. Jackie Faherty (GeoShort) Nov 04, 2021

Show notes

Have you heard of Manhattan-Henge? It's a totally cool phenomenon that occurs in The Big Apple every spring and summer.
We interviewed Dr. Jackie Faherty about it! You can follow Dr. Faherty on Twitter and visit her website to learn more!
Please leave us a review and rating! Follow us on all the social medias we are @planetgeocast
——————————————————
Website: https://planetgeocast.com
Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Email: planetgeocast@gmail.com

What's in a Name? Volcano Edition Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss the categories - or different types of volcanoes in the world. We begin by discussing how the traditional categories, as found in most textbooks, are not adequate. There are too many exceptions to the rules. So we begin by discussing the typical 3 - Shield, stratovolcanoes, and cinder cones. Then, we expand the categories to include rhyolite caldera complexes (often called supervolcanoes), monogenetic fields, flood basalts, and mid-ocean ridge systems. Even with this expanded category list, not all volcanoes fit nicely. Each volcano is its' own snowflake.
With volcanoes, there are exceptions to our categories and some will fall into more than one category. Many students get confused by this because the 3 category system doesn’t allow for exceptions. I think this is Ok, but only if they’re taught that exceptions definitely exist - OR - let’s be more extensive with our categories. To be honest, I’m bothered by the exclusivity of the “3” type system. AND, even with a more extensive category list, there are exceptions and students need to know this is OK.
With each type, we discuss it's geomorphology, the eruptive personality, the tectonic setting, and an example or tow of where they occur.
We also spend some time discussing the plumbing system of volcanoes and how complicated this can be. If we can begin to understand the plumbing system, then we can begin to study how magma traverses the crust. This traverse can lead to a diversity of magma composition - even within the same volcano. This discussion is crucial to student understanding.
——————————————————
Website: https://planetgeocast.com
Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Email: planetgeocast@gmail.com

Mount St. Helens and Volcano Plumbing Systems (GeoShort) Oct 21, 2021

Show notes

In this GeoShort, we discuss Mount St. Helens, one of Chris' favorite volcanoes and probably the reason he got into geoscience!
This is the Scientific American article, written by Steve Olson, about Mount St. Helens that serves as the backbone for much of our discussion.
Mount St. Helens is a famous volcano in Washington State that erupted in 1980. Scientists have been studying Mount St. Helens for a long time, and it is one location where magma plumbing systems are studied to try to understand how magma reaches the surface in a volcano.
Magma plumbing systems are really complicated but they control the composition of the lava as well as how explosive the volcanic eruptions are! So, this is important to understand.
As usual, follow us on social media and let us know what you think by sending us an email!
——————————————————
Website: https://planetgeocast.com
Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Email: planetgeocast@gmail.com

Earth's Toxic Twin: An Interview About Venus With Professor Martha Gilmore Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

Today we are talking about all things Venus! Our host - Professor Martha Gilmore of Wesleyan University - is a world expert on Earth's Toxic Twin planet, Venus.
Venus is the second planet from the sun and the target for newly announced NASA Missions in the coming decade! Venus has a super thick atmosphere that is dominated by CO2, it may or may not have continents, and studying Venus may help us understand Earth much better! As we have covered in previous episodes of PlanetGeo, Venus is the super greenhouse planet, so it may hold lessons for climate change on our own planet.
We hope you enjoy this discussion with Professor Martha Gilmore!
As usual, follow us on social media and let us know what you think by sending us an email
——————————————————
Website: https://planetgeocast.com
Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Email: planetgeocast@gmail.com