GEO Podcast
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Microfossils
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You can find the GEO podcast on iTunes right here.You can also find GEO Podcast or all the major podcast capture platforms!(Go on...subscribe and do n...
Shale - and how we use it
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You can also find GEO Podcast or all the major podcast capture platforms!(Go on...subscribe and do not miss the new episodes)In this episode, I talk a...
Sandstone - quartz, arkose and lithic
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You can find the GEO podcast on iTunes right here.You can also find GEO Podcast or all the major podcast capture platforms!(Go on...subscribe and do n...
Apparent Polar Wandering & Plate Tectonics
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You can also find GEO Podcast or all the major podcast capture platforms!(Go on...subscribe and do not miss the new episodes)In this episode, I explai...
Seeing Inside the Earth
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I explain how seismic waves are used to see the internal structure of the Earth including the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner co...
Tectonic Plates - Lithosphere, Moho, Asthenosphere
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the structure of a tectonic plate and introduce the terms crust, mantle, lithosphere, moho discontinuity, and asthenosph...
Three reasons why civilizations grew up around volcanoes
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the three reasons why people and civilizations grew up around active volcanoes.  Why did people need to live close to...
Salt Weathering
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about how salt acts as a physical weathering agent to break down rocks. Physical weathering is the breaking down of rocks wi...
Current Iceland Volcanic Activity 101
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I explain in simple terms what is happening in Iceland these last few years on the plate boundary. I explain the two geological phe...
Fake & Pseudo Fossils
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about fake fossils and why people create them, as well as pseudo fossils such as dendrites.Visit our GEOetc Members Section - ...
Where does magma come from?
16 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about how molten rock is formed inside the Earth - what are the mechanisms that cause our planet to produce molten rock to fee...
All about limestone
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the different forms of limestone and how they form including chalk, coquina, fossiliferous limestone, travertine, and oo...
Bowens Reaction Series
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I talk about Bowen's Reaction Series - and how it tells us the order of crystallization of minerals from molten rock.Support the ...
Earth's Major Systems
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Earth is a huge system made up of a number of 'spheres' - the geosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. What are ...
Buying a rock (geologic) hammer
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the things to consider when buying a geologic hammer - what to look for and the decisions you will need to make. You c...
Earth's largest volcano erupts - Mauna Loa 2022
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the recent eruption of Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii. The eruption was in 2022 and lasted just two weeks - but...
Have I found gold? Simple tests to find out!
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the three common minerals that fool people into thinking they have found gold - pyrite, chalcopyrite, and mica. I talk...
Hawaii - why I love taking people to visit the volcanoes
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the four reasons I just love to take people on tours around the volcanoes in Hawaii. It is about the accessibility of se...
The 5 Great Extinctions
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the five great extinction events - events in which more than 70% of species on Earth become extinct. When did these oc...
Graptolites
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the extinct colonial animal we call graptolites. These are fascinating fossils as they not only show an evolutionary t...
Elements needed for an EV battery
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the major elements needed for an EV battery (lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese and graphite). How much is needed for ...
Volcanic Explosive Index
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the Volcanic Explosive Index (VEI) and how that logarithmic scale is used to rate eruptions. It is based on the amount...
Volcanic Eruption Styles
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the five major eruption styles - Icelandic, Hawaiian, Strombolian, Vulcanian, and Plinian. What are the characteristic...
Sapphires, Rubies & Corundum (oh my!)
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the corundum family of minerals - their chemistry, how they form, and what makes them different from each other.Visit ou...
Longshore Drift - the shifting sands
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about how sand moves along a beach due to longshore drift.Visit our GEOetc Members Section - Over 100 teaching resources that ...
Volcanoes & Climate
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about how volcanic eruptions can affect climate - by releasing ash, gas, and aerosols. We talk about the role of CO2 and SO2...
Focus & Epicenter - important earthquake terms
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the difference between the terms focus and epicenter. What do the terms mean and how are they used? How is the infor...
Ring of Fire - what's happening around the Pacific?
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about what is causing the Pacific Ring of Fire. Â Why do 75% of all active volcanoes and 90% of all earthquakes happen around...
Diamonds - all about those gems!
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about diamonds - where they form, how they are brought to the surface and even about different colors and uses.Visit our Membe...
Index Fossils - the keys to dating layers
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about index fossils - what are they and what makes one fossil better than another for dating layers in a sedimentary sequence....
Landslides - the 'other' natural disaster!
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk about the main causes of landslides and provide examples - California and Thredbo, NSW, Australia. What is the role of wate...
Radioactive dating - how does it tell us how old rocks are?
12 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rocks can contain radioactive elements that breakdown (decay) over time at a set rate. We can use this decay to work out the age of the rocks. In ...
The History of the theory of Plate Tectonics
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Where did the Theory of Plate Tectonics come from? How did it evolve? What started it all off and how did new evidence change the theory?Visit our Mem...
What are the mechanisms that drive Plate Tectonics?
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What drives the movement of the Earth's huge lithospheric tectonic plates? In this episode, we talk about mantle convection currents and slab pul...
Sand - why do we see such variations?
21 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why do we see such variation in the sand around the world - white, yellow, black and green, and more! What can the grains of sand tell us about the ...
Missing time - what are unconformities?
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Earth scientists in the field recognize that a sequence of rocks may be missing layers of rocks that represent a period of time. We call those uncon...
Seeing inside the Earth
07 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do we know about the inside of the Earth? Â Using earthquake waves and visitors from out of space (meteorites), we can see the layers and work ou...
Trilobites - King of the fossils!
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Trilobites are amazing fossils! They can be used for accurate correlation between sedimentary layers because they evolved rapidly, lived in almost a...
The Earth's layers explained
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Earth is made up of layers - and we can define those layers in two ways - as being chemical (crust, mantle, core) or mechanical (lithosphere, as...
What is a glacier?
16 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is a glacier? How is it formed? Where can I find them and how are they classified?Support the show
Why are dikes awesome?
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A dike is a planar igneous intrusion that cuts through the existing rocks. They have always fascinated me - and in this episode, I talk a little abo...
Why is Iceland an island?
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why does the island of Iceland exist? Learn how two major geological phenomena occur together to make this amazing and unique place on our planet. ...
Why are some volcanic eruptions, like Tonga and Krakatoa, so explosive?
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I discous how magma chemistry and water work together to create the massive explosive eruptions of Tonga (January 15th, 2022) and Kr...
Why is Hawaii such a great learning laboratory
14 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hawaii is a wonderful place to see, learn and teach about aspects of Earth Science. In this episode I mention six reasons Hawaii is a place to visit...
Volcanic eruptions - how we monitor what a volcano is doing
28 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Reducing the risk to people of volcanic eruptions is an important job for geoscientists. In this episode, we talk about four tools geoscientists can...
Rivers - simple morphology and classification
19 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rivers are so important as they provide water for drinking and agriculture. Â They are also important as they move mountains (over time) to the ocean...
Banded Iron Formations and what they tell us about the Earth's evolution
06 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The formation of Banded Iron Formations (BIFs) are so important as a resource of the element iron, but also as they tell us about how our atmosphere e...
Earth's natural (geological) resources - what are they?
30 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What are the six groups of natural geological resources that humans have learned to utilize to build our society into the form that we now live within...
Lithosphere, Asthenosphere and Moho- what's that all about?
22 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Earth's tectonic plates are made up of the lithosphere - that outer hard rock layer of the Earth. In this episode, we talk about the lithos...
Continental Crust - whats it all about?
15 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You can also find GEO Podcast or all the major podcast capture platforms!(Go on...subscribe and not miss the new episodes)We all live on Earth's ...
Oceanic Crust - what is it all about?
08 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Over 70% of the rocky surface of our planet (although most of this is underwater) is made up of oceanic crust. This crust, along with the upper mant...
Metamorphic rocks for beginners
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What are metamorphic rocks and how do they form? What is contact metamorphism? What is regional metamorphism? How are they different? In this ...
Life as a Geologist - Dr Chris Spencer
10 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk with Dr. Chris Spencer from Travelling Geologist and Queens College about how he become involved i geology and why understandi...
Four ways to get field experience - for college/university students
05 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about four things a college/university student (or anyone who wants to) can do to get some field experience. With college/un...
Evidence for past climate change
28 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the types of evidence we use to understand past climates on Earth. I talk about isotope evidence, fossils, paleomagnet...
Volcano shapes - shield, composite/stratiform, caldera - and chemistry
21 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about how volcanoes get different shapes due to the chemistry of the molten rock materials. We talk about the shield, compos...
Transform fault plate boundaries - what are their features?
14 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the geological and topographic features of transform fault boundaries between two tectonic plates. This is a great summa...
Convergent plate boundaries - subduction, collision and Island arcs - what are their features?
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the geological and topographic features of three types of convergent plate boundaries - subduction, collision, and islan...
Divergent plate boundaries - what are their features?
31 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the geological and topographic features of divergent plate boundaries, including rift valleys, Mid Ocean Ridges (MORs), ...
The Evidence for Plate Tectonics
24 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In less than 12 minutes, I summarize the major pieces of evidence we have for the theory of Plate tectonics. I cover shape of continents, mountain a...
Tsunami - the science behind the waves
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the science of Tsunamis - those horrifying waves that spread around the oceans after certain geological events. Â What ...
Limestone Caves - how do they form (the chemistry of solution caves)
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about solution (Limestone/marble) caves and how they form. What is the chemistry behind their formation and their cave for...
Earth's Magnetic Reversals and Plate Tectonics
26 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we chat about the Earth's magnetic field and how that is recorded in igneous rocks. We discuss how this was worked out, how it...
Mineral Occurrence through to Ore Deposit. What do these terms mean?
20 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the differences between a mineral occurrence, a mineral deposit, and an ore deposit. And most of that is about the fin...
Oil - how is oil formed and trapped.
12 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How is oil formed and trapped so we can use it as a resource? Learn about source rocks, reservoir rocks, trap-rocks and different forms of oil traps...
Relative Dating - working out what happened first, second...
05 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How does a geologist work out the sequence of events when looking at outcrop? How do uniformitarianism, superposition, fossil sequences, and cross-c...
Erosion - moving stuff around
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Erosion is the moving of broken-down rock materials from one place to another and can be caused by the action of gravity, water, wind or ice. In thi...
Weathering - breaking down in place.
29 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Often the most misunderstood part of the tri-process weathering-erosion-deposition cycle, weathering is the critical part of how rocks are recycled. Â ...
Starting off rock and mineral collecting
22 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about places you can go to start collecting rocks and minerals - and they are all places close to you home. Â When starting off you jus...
The Science of Gold
15 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Gold is an amazing metal and has been used by humans for thousands of years.  But do you know the properties of gold and how you can use them to fi...
Earthquakes - what you need to know!
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What are earthquakes? How are they formed? What is causing the shaking? How do we record them? What should you do in an Earthquake?  Learn a...
Silicate minerals - for non scientists
17 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The silicate minerals are the building blocks for all the rocks on Earth.  They follow a system of formation and therefore classification - and in...
Geoscience jobs - just some of the types of geologist!
09 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There are just so many different roles and specialties in the field of geology. Many of these jobs have different titles or names, and so in this ep...
All about granite
06 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about the plutonic igneous rock known as granite - why I love it, the minerals it contains and what it tends to look like in t...
Simple rock classification - Igneous, Sedimentary & Metamorphic Rocks
02 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I outline the simple classification of rocks into the groups igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.You can find the episode note...
Introduction to Plate Tectonics
02 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn the basics of the theory of Plate Tectonics in less than 10 minutes! Â Why do earthquakes and volcanoes occur where they do? Â Why does the ea...
Mineral color and streak
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about mineral color and streak as ways to identify minerals in your collection. The big take away from this episode is that ...
Mineral hardness - and how to work out the hardness of an unknown mineral
27 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mineral hardness is one of the most important properties you can use to identify a mineral you have been given or even collected in the field. In th...
Why geology and what got me hooked?
26 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Let's chat about how I became hooked in geology - maybe my story is similar to yours.  I also provide some thoughts on the four reasons geolog...