GEO Podcast
73 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago -A place to learn about geology for teachers, students, rock hounds, and geology enthusiasts - that comes out on Fridays!
Gary Lewis is an Australian-born geologist who loves to share his passion for all things 'geology'. In the GEO podcast, Gary takes you on a journey to learn about rocks, minerals, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciers and so much more.
It does not matter if you have no experience in geology, Gary will help you to understand the fundamentals of our planet so you can have a greater understanding about when you see when visiting your backyard, your local creek, cliff or beyond.
You can also join Gary as he runs Field Adventures (specialist travel experiences) to see parts of the world through the eyes of a passionate Earth scientist. Find out more at www.geoetc.com.
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Episodes
Transform fault plate boundaries - what are their features?
June 14, 2020 23:00 - 7 minutes - 5.13 MBIn this episode, I talk about the geological and topographic features of transform fault boundaries between two tectonic plates. This is a great summary for students learning about Plate Tectonics. If you want a summary of the theory - you can find a podcast episode that covers the theory here. If you want a booklet covering the theory and evidence, check out this one - its great idea as a class set. And finally, if you are looking for activities for students on Plate tectonics, then see ...
Convergent plate boundaries - subduction, collision and Island arcs - what are their features?
June 08, 2020 09:00 - 11 minutes - 7.78 MBIn this episode, I talk about the geological and topographic features of three types of convergent plate boundaries - subduction, collision, and island arcs. We cover earthquakes, volcanoes, deep ocean trenches, mountain building, and more. This is a great summary for students learning about Plate Tectonics. If you want a summary of the theory - you can find a podcast episode that covers the theory here. If you want a booklet covering the theory and evidence, check out this one - its gre...
Divergent plate boundaries - what are their features?
May 31, 2020 21:00 - 9 minutes - 6.47 MBIn this episode, I talk about the geological and topographic features of divergent plate boundaries, including rift valleys, Mid Ocean Ridges (MORs), normal faults, transform faults, and the ages of rocks moving away from the boundaries. This is a great summary for students learning about Plate Tectonics. If you want a summary of the theory - you can find a podcast episode that covers the theory here. If you want a booklet covering the theory and evidence, check out this one - its great i...
The Evidence for Plate Tectonics
May 24, 2020 18:00 - 11 minutes - 8.07 MBIn 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 and ages of rocks, earthquakes, volcanoes, trenches and mid-ocean ridges, ages of the seafloor, patterns of magnetic anomalies, apparent polar wandering curves and hot spot volcanoes. If you want a summary of the theory - you can find a podcast episode that covers the theory here. If you want a booklet covering the theory and evidence, check ou...
Tsunami - the science behind the waves
May 11, 2020 19:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBIn this episode, I talk about the science of Tsunamis - those horrifying waves that spread around the oceans after certain geological events. What are those events? How do the waves travel? How can we warn people? What if I am on the coast - what should I look for? If you want a classroom activity, have a go at constructing this 3D paper tsunami model. Just print out, cut, and glue. Interested in joining us on a trip? Check out our field adventures here. Support the Show.
Limestone Caves - how do they form (the chemistry of solution caves)
May 04, 2020 21:00 - 12 minutes - 8.77 MBIn this episode, I talk about solution (Limestone/marble) caves and how they form. What is the chemistry behind their formation and their cave formations like stalactites and stalagmites? In fact, I mention the chemical equation that drives this reaction...click here to see it. Caves are fascinating places, and I hope this makes it easier for you to understand how solution caves form. If you want a fun activity, have a go at constructing this 3D paper cave. Just print out, cut, and glu...
Earth's Magnetic Reversals and Plate Tectonics
April 26, 2020 21:00 - 12 minutes - 8.31 MBIn 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 was used to plot Apparent Polar Wandering Curves, and how we use magnetic stripes recorded in the rocks of the seafloor as evidence for Plate Tectonics. And quite a bit more... Interested in joining us on a trip? Visit us at www.geoetc.com Support the Show.
Mineral Occurrence through to Ore Deposit. What do these terms mean?
April 20, 2020 23:00 - 9 minutes - 6.9 MBIn 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 finances (profit and loss) of mining that resources than about the geology. This is a great primer for teaching students about mineral resources or to understand what these terms mean if you see them on a map. You can always real more about geology topics on www.geoetc.com And you can find out more about all our field trips here. Support the Sh...
Oil - how is oil formed and trapped.
April 12, 2020 23:00 - 11 minutes - 7.85 MBHow 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. For more information about geology topics, come find us at www.geoetc.com Support the Show.
Relative Dating - working out what happened first, second...
April 05, 2020 22:00 - 12 minutes - 8.75 MBHow does a geologist work out the sequence of events when looking at outcrop? How do uniformitarianism, superposition, fossil sequences, and cross-cutting relationships all tie together to work out what came first and what came last? This episode I talk through the processes for sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks and structures like faults, folds, and unconformities. All of that in just 12 mins! You can find the GEO podcast on iTunes right here. And go and visit www.geoetc.com! ...
Erosion - moving stuff around
March 30, 2020 20:00 - 14 minutes - 9.9 MBErosion 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 this session, I talk about each of those factors and examples of how they work. For more information on geoscience, come visit our site at www.geoetc.com Support the Show.
Weathering - breaking down in place.
March 29, 2020 11:00 - 10 minutes - 6.95 MBOften the most misunderstood part of the tri-process weathering-erosion-deposition cycle, weathering is the critical part of how rocks are recycled. In this episode, I discuss how rocks break down through physical, chemical and biological ways. You can find out more about topics like this on our website www.geoetc.com Support the Show.
Starting off rock and mineral collecting
March 22, 2020 10:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBToday we talk about places you can go to start collecting rocks and minerals - and they are all places close to you home. When starting off you just don't have to go far or to famous places, but you can look in your backyard, front driveway, or local parks. Gary then explains what he takes into the field when he collects - to bring his treasures home - and how he labels and records information about his specimens. And if you want to read more including learning how to ID samples, why no...
The Science of Gold
March 15, 2020 12:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBGold 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 find gold in nature? Do you know how to tell gold from fools gold? This episode explains all these things (and a little more). You can find more about gold at www.geoetc.com Support the Show.
Earthquakes - what you need to know!
March 09, 2020 20:00 - 14 minutes - 9.68 MBWhat are earthquakes? How are they formed? What is causing the shaking? How do we record them? What should you do in an Earthquake? Learn all about Earthquakes in less than 15 mins. Learn about seismic waves (P, S and surface waves), learn terms like fault, focus, and epicenter. Understand the term magnitude and how much energy is released. Support the Show.
Silicate minerals - for non scientists
February 17, 2020 12:00 - 13 minutes - 9.26 MBThe silicate minerals are the building blocks for all the rocks on Earth. They follow a system of formation and therefore classification - and in this episode, I explain the fundamental building block (silicon tetrahedron) and how that is used to form all the different types of minerals. For more information, see this blog post on the Silicate Minerals. And finally - if you are new to rock and mineral collecting, or have a child who would like to learn more, check out the book I wrote.....
Geoscience jobs - just some of the types of geologist!
February 09, 2020 21:00 - 10 minutes - 7.46 MBThere 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 episode, I go through some of the major ones and outlines (roughly) what those people do in the field of geology. I know I did not cover all of the types of jobs...but this will give you, students and rockhounds a pretty good idea of the variety of roles a geologist can play in understanding our planet. Support the Show.
All about granite
February 06, 2020 10:00 - 11 minutes - 7.93 MBIn 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 the landscape. This is a perfect primer for rockhounds, teachers, and students on how to ID granite. You can find the full episode notes, including images of granite here: https://geoetc.com/episode6/ Support the Show.
Simple rock classification - Igneous, Sedimentary & Metamorphic Rocks
February 02, 2020 18:00 - 9 minutes - 6.56 MBIn this episode, I outline the simple classification of rocks into the groups igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. You can find the episode notes here: https://geoetc.com/episode5/ Support the Show.
Introduction to Plate Tectonics
February 02, 2020 17:00 - 9 minutes - 6.64 MBLearn the basics of the theory of Plate Tectonics in less than 10 minutes! Why do earthquakes and volcanoes occur where they do? Why does the earth have mountain ranges and deep ocean trenches? And you can find the full episode links here: https://geoetc.com/episode4/ Support the Show.
Mineral color and streak
January 29, 2020 10:00 - 10 minutes - 7.05 MBIn 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 color alone is not a good way to ID minerals and that using streak (the color of the powdered mineral) is a better ID tool. For the full notes and links to streak plates, go to www.geoetc.com/episode3 Support the Show.
Mineral hardness - and how to work out the hardness of an unknown mineral
January 27, 2020 00:00 - 8 minutes - 6.03 MBMineral 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 this episode I walk about Mohs Scale of Hardness and how it works, as well as how you can create your own mineral hardness testing kit using common items around your home or garage. Support the Show.
Why geology and what got me hooked?
January 26, 2020 00:00 - 16 minutes - 11 MBLet'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 geology is now so important. Support the Show.