GEO Podcast
by Gary Lewis, GEOetc.com
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.
Episodes
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Microfossils
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 not miss the new episodes) In this episode, I talk about the major types of microfossils and how they are important for us to understand the...
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Shale - and how we use it
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 about shale, some major types, and how humans have used shale over time. Visit our GEOetc Members Section - Over 100 teaching resources that are...
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Sandstone - quartz, arkose and lithic
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 not miss the new episodes) In this episode, I talk about sandstone and what the sand grains can tell us about how far away from he source rock the...
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Apparent Polar Wandering & Plate Tectonics
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 explain what apparent polar wandering curves are and how the information was then used to work out the position of the continents over time. Visit our...
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Seeing Inside the Earth
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 core. You can also find GEO Podcast or all the major podcast capture platforms! (Go on...subscribe and do not miss the new episodes) Visit our GEOetc...
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Tectonic Plates - Lithosphere, Moho, Asthenosphere
In this episode, I talk about the structure of a tectonic plate and introduce the terms crust, mantle, lithosphere, moho discontinuity, and asthenosphere. You can find the GEO podcast on iTunes right here. You can also find GEO Podcast or all the major podcast capture platforms! (Go…
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Three reasons why civilizations grew up around volcanoes
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 the dangers of eruptions? What was it that drove and kept them there? Visit our GEOetc Members Section - Over 100 teaching resources that are...
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Salt Weathering
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 without a chemical change, and salt can act as the agent that breaks down rocks especially close to the ocean, but also in salt-rich soils, etc. Visit...
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Current Iceland Volcanic Activity 101
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 phenomena in Iceland, the recent eruptions and earthquake activity, and how they are related to Plate Tectonics. Support the show
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Fake & Pseudo Fossils
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 - Over 100 teaching resources that are classroom-ready to help you teach Earth science. Come and check out all we have to offer at GEOetc.com…
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Where does magma come from?
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 feed volcanoes? Visit our GEOetc Members Section - Over 100 teaching resources that are classroom-ready to help you teach Earth science. Check them…
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All about limestone
In this episode, I talk about the different forms of limestone and how they form including chalk, coquina, fossiliferous limestone, travertine, and oolitic limestone. Visit our GEOetc Members Section - Over 100 teaching resources that are classroom-ready to help you teach Earth science. Check…
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Bowens Reaction Series
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 show
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Earth's Major Systems
The Earth is a huge system made up of a number of 'spheres' - the geosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. What are each of these spheres and how can they interact? This episode explains each sphere and gives examples of the interaction between them. Visit our GEOetc Members...
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Buying a rock (geologic) hammer
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 can find this information and more in my blog post about buying a forever hammer. Visit our GEOetc Members Section - Over 100 teaching resources that...
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Earth's largest volcano erupts - Mauna Loa 2022
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 produced massive around of lava. Come and join us in Hawaii, or on any of our field adventures. See here for the trips for educators and here for…
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Have I found gold? Simple tests to find out!
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 about the simple tests you can do to find out if what you found was really gold or one of these three. Visit our GEOetc Members Section - Over 100...
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Hawaii - why I love taking people to visit the volcanoes
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 seeing the planet's largest and most active volcanoes and more. Come join us on an field adventure: www.geoetc.com/field-adventures Support the show
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The 5 Great Extinctions
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 occur and what might have caused each event. Visit our GEOetc Members Section - Over 100 teaching resources that are classroom-ready to help you teach...
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Graptolites
In this episode, I talk about the extinct colonial animal we call graptolites. These are fascinating fossils as they not only show an evolutionary trend that goes from complex to simple, but their wold-wide distribution makes them a perfect index fossil. Visit our GEOetc Members Section - Over…
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Elements needed for an EV battery
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 just one EV battery? Where are these materials currently coming from? Visit our GEOetc Members Section - Over 100 teaching resources that are...
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Volcanic Explosive Index
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 of material ejected, the size of the eruption plume and the length of the eruption. Visit our GEOetc Members Section - Over 100 teaching resources...
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Volcanic Eruption Styles
In this episode, I talk about the five major eruption styles - Icelandic, Hawaiian, Strombolian, Vulcanian, and Plinian. What are the characteristics of these different styles of eruptions and what materials do they produce? Visit our GEOetc Members Section - Over 100 teaching resources that are...
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Sapphires, Rubies & Corundum (oh my!)
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 our GEOetc Members Section - Over 100 teaching resources that are classroom-ready to help you teach Earth science. Check them out! Support the show
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Longshore Drift - the shifting sands
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 are classroom-ready to help you teach Earth science. Check them out! Support the show
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Volcanoes & Climate
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 and what effect they may have. I talked specifically about Pinatubo, Tambora, and the Laki eruptions. I also mention an activity available for…
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Focus & Epicenter - important earthquake terms
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 information about an earthquake's focus used? How about the information about the epicenter of an earthquake? Visit our GEOetc Members Section - Over 100...
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Ring of Fire - what's happening around the Pacific?
In this episode, I talk about what is causing the Pacific Ring of Fire. Why do 75% of all active volcanoes and 90% of all earthquakes happen around the edge of the Pacific Ocean? Visit our GEOetc Members Section - Over 100 teaching resources that are classroom-ready to help you teach Earth…
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Diamonds - all about those gems!
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 Members Section - Over 100 teaching resources that are classroom-ready to help you teach Earth science. Check them out! Support the show
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Index Fossils - the keys to dating layers
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. I aven leave you pondering what human product would make a great index fossil. Visit our GEOetc Members Section - Over 100 teaching resources that...
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Landslides - the 'other' natural disaster!
In this episode, we talk about the main causes of landslides and provide examples - California and Thredbo, NSW, Australia. What is the role of water? What about trees and deforestation? How can earthquakes be involved etc? This is a great introduction to landslides as a natural disaster. Support...
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Radioactive dating - how does it tell us how old rocks are?
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 this episode, we do a brief look at the process, and how we know it works. Visit our Members Section - Over 90 teaching resources that are...
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The History of the theory of Plate Tectonics
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 Members Section - Over 90 teaching resources that are classroom-ready to help you teach Earth science. Check them out! Support the show
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What are the mechanisms that drive Plate Tectonics?
What drives the movement of the Earth's huge lithospheric tectonic plates? In this episode, we talk about mantle convection currents and slab pull - the too well-accepted theories for what is driving Plate Tectonics. Visit our Members Section - Over 90 teaching resources that are classroom-ready…
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Sand - why do we see such variations?
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 age of the sand? And how can sand on an island that contains just black rocks have white sand? This one is for the sand collectors! Support the show
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Missing time - what are unconformities?
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 unconformities. In this episode, we discuss what an unconformity is and the four main types of unconformities - angular, paraconformity, disconformity…
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Seeing inside the Earth
How do we know about the inside of the Earth? Using earthquake waves and visitors from out of space (meteorites), we can see the layers and work out the chemistry of the layers that make up our planet. Visit us at GEOetc.com to learn more about our amazing planet! Support the show
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Trilobites - King of the fossils!
Trilobites are amazing fossils! They can be used for accurate correlation between sedimentary layers because they evolved rapidly, lived in almost all marine environments, and have exoskeletons that were easy to preserve. Here is a link to the activities mentioned in the episode: Trilobite ID...
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The Earth's layers explained
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, asthenosphere, mesosphere, outer core, inner core). This episode explains the layers and why they are important for plate tectonics and more. Teachers...
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What is a glacier?
What is a glacier? How is it formed? Where can I find them and how are they classified? Support the show
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Why are dikes awesome?
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 about them and why I think they are awesome! Support the show
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Why is Iceland an island?
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. Plate Tectonics and Mantle Plumes interact to provide us with a beautiful island. Support the show
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Why are some volcanic eruptions, like Tonga and Krakatoa, so explosive?
In this episode I discous how magma chemistry and water work together to create the massive explosive eruptions of Tonga (January 15th, 2022) and Krakatoa (1883). Support the show
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Why is Hawaii such a great learning laboratory
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 if you love Earth science. Support the show
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Volcanic eruptions - how we monitor what a volcano is doing
Reducing the risk to people of volcanic eruptions is an important job for geoscientists. In this episode, we talk about four tools geoscientists can use including earthquakes, deformation, gases, and well water temperatures. This would make a great introduction to students before having them do…
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Rivers - simple morphology and classification
Rivers are so important as they provide water for drinking and agriculture. They are also important as they move mountains (over time) to the ocean! In this episode, we talk about the basic morphology of rivers - bedrock and alluvial rivers as well as the concepts of young, mature, and old…
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Banded Iron Formations and what they tell us about the Earth's evolution
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 evolved some 2,500 million years ago. In this episode, we talk about the major theory of the formation of BIFs as well as some alternative theories,...
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Earth's natural (geological) resources - what are they?
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? Humans have been using water, ores, aggregates, energy, stones, and soil to live on Earth - and understanding them is so important to be able to...
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Lithosphere, Asthenosphere and Moho- what's that all about?
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 lithosphere, the underlying asthenosphere, and the moho boundary between the crust and the upper mantle portion of the lithosphere. And all in under 9 minutes!...
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Continental Crust - whats it all about?
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 continental crust - and so it's the part of our planet we are most familiar with. But do you know what makes this type of crust so special? In this...
About this show
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.
Hosted by
Gary Lewis, GEOetc.com