PODCAST · science
GeOCHemISTea
by Sam Scher
Every geoscientist is capable of understanding and applying geochemical data, however, at GeocHemiSTea we understand that there is an incredible amount of nuance and accumulated knowledge. We are here to break down the impediments towards geoscientists learning more about this exciting field! Are you a student wanting to break into the field? Listen to each episode to see how reknown geochemists got to where they are today. Are you intrigued by integrating geochemistry, but don't know how? Stay tuned! Lastly are you looking for some Tea/good gossip? We got it.
Episodes
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What If We Treated Waste Like Ore with Anita Parbhakar-Fox
What if we treated mine waste with the same curiosity and rigor as the orebody itself? This month on GeOCHemISTea, Sam sits down with Dr. Anita Parbhakar-Fox to talk about rethinking mine waste across the life of mine. From environmental geometallurgy and waste characterization to valorization,...
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From Hand Samples to Satellites: Geochemistry with Brenda Bowen
In this episode of GeOCHemISTea, Sam talks with Dr. Brenda Bowen, Professor of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Utah, about using remote sensing to understand geochemistry at the scale of entire landscapes. Brenda traces her work from the Navajo Sandstone and ancient fluid-flow systems...
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The Fallacy of the Deep with Mark Arundell
Is the next generation of mineral discoveries really hiding at extreme depths, or have we overlooked opportunities much closer to the surface? In this episode, Sam sits down with returning guest Mark Arundell, geoscientist and geochemical consultant, to challenge one of exploration's most widely...
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The Rocks Meet Wall Street with Dave Lawie & Sam Scher
For Episode 51, the tables are turned as Imdex Chief Geologist and Technologist Dave Lawie takes over hosting duties and puts Sam in the hot seat. Fresh from the SME Current Trends in Mining Finance conference in New York City, Dave and Sam discuss the growing disconnect between how mining…
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Data Levelling Panel with Pedro Acosta-Gongora & Tom Carmichael
For our 50th episode of GeOCHemISTea, we’re doing something a little different... a panel discussion that brings together two very different perspectives on one deceptively simple problem: levelling geochemical data. Joined by a government survey geochemist, Pedro Acosta-Gongora, and a…
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From Evidence to Origin: Solving Mysteries with Isoscapes with Gabe Bowen
In this episode of GeOCHemISTea, Sam sits down with Gabe Bowen to explore the world of forensic isotope geochemistry and the power of isoscapes. From identifying where someone has lived, to reconstructing movement through hair and teeth, isotopes are becoming a powerful investigative…
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Beyond Bulk Geochemistry: Cobalt, Nanoparticles, and Surface Processes with Owen Missen
This episode of GeOCHemISTea explores cobalt cycling, critical metals, and why geochemists need to think beyond bulk chemistry to understand how elements behave in surface environments. Sam is joined by Owen Missen, lecturer in environmental geology at the University of Tasmania and researcher…
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Fit-for-Purpose Geochemistry and Fewer Bad Programs with Simon Bolster
Simon Bolster joins GeOCHemISTea to unpack what actuallymakes near-surface geochemistry work in mineral exploration: understanding regolith and landforms before you ever “put dirt in bags.” With four decades in gold exploration, Simon argues that many programs fail not because geochemistry is...
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From Geomet to the Mill: Breaking Down Silos with Mohsen Yahyaei
In this episode of GeOCHemISTea, host Sam Scher engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Professor Mohsen Yahyaei, a mineral processing engineer and director at the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Center. They explore the impact of geographical differences on mental health,...
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Volcanoes, Mush, and Mineralization with Mike Stock
In this episode of GeOCHemISTea, Sam talks with Mike Stock, Professor at Trinity College Dublin, about magma systems from eruption to emplacement. Drawing on work in the Galápagos and Ireland, Mike explores how the same geochemical and petrological processes govern both volcanic activity and ore...
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The mineralogy hidden in your assays with Scott Halley
This month on GeOCHemISTea, Sam sits down with Scott Halley to talk about extracting meaningful mineralogy from standard four-acid assay data. Scott walks through how the classic MINSQ approach evolved into modern linear-programming methods that handle solid solutions, honor thermodynamics, and...
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Geochemistry Without Borders: A Conversation with Alecos Demetriades
Alecos Demetriades, applied geochemist and Chair of the IUGS Commission on Global Geochemical Baselines (2024–2028), joins GeOCHemISTea to unpack the Global Geochemical Reference Network (GGRN): why a 160×160 km grid matters, how harmonized sampling/analysis underpins trustworthy baselines, and...
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Geochemical exploration in low sulfidation epithermal systems with Simon Griffiths
This month on GeOCHemISTea, we welcome back Simon Griffiths, Principal Consultant at Third Planet Exploration Services, to unpack the geochemical exploration strategies for low-sulfidation epithermal systems. From vein textures to vanadium-rich roscoelite halos, Simon walks us through practical...
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From Sardis to the lab: a gold assay deep dive with Hugh De Souza
In this episode of GeOCHemISTea, we're joined by Hugh De Souza to explore the evolution of gold analysis; from 4,000-year-old fire assay traditions to disruptive technologies like photon assay. With over 40 years at research and industry analytical labs and deep experience in mineralogy,...
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Fine Fractions & Big Discoveries: A Deep Dive into Drainage Geochem with Mary Doherty
This month on GeOCHemISTea, we are talking about one of exploration geochemistry’s most foundational, and rapidly evolving, methods: stream sediment sampling. Sam is joined by geochemical consultant and educator Mary Doherty, lead author of a 2023 review on stream sediment geochemistry, published...
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Into the Plume: Hydrothermal Geochemistry and Alvin Adventures with Andy Campbell
In this episode of GeOCHemISTea, we're diving deep, literally, with Andy Campbell, oceanographer, geochemist, and former senior leader at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Andy takes us back to his PhD days at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where he conducted some of the earliest...
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Geothermal Geochemistry and the Roads Less Taken with Stuart Simmons
In this episode of GeOCHemISTea, Sam sits down with geochemist and geothermal expert Stuart Simmons to discuss the unpredictable paths that shape a career in geoscience. From early work in epithermal gold systems to pioneering research in geothermal energy, Stuart shares how professional pivots,...
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Probing paleorecords to understand future climates with Brittany Hupp
Join us this month on GeOCHemISTea as we sit down with Brittany Hupp, Assistant Professor at George Mason University in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences. Brittany specializes in micropaleontology, sedimentology, and low-temperature geochemistry, exploring ancient…
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Dynamic mapping of tailings oxidation with Oscar Benavente
This month GeOCHemISTea talks with Oscar Benavente, an environmental geochemist at SRK Consulting, about using satellite imagery to monitor mine drainage and environmental change. They dive into how Google Earth Engine, Python, and machine learning are transforming geochemical monitoring—mapping...
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The trials and tribulations of historic geochemistry datasets with Putra Sadikin
Historical geochemical datasets can be challenging with variable methods, missing metadata, and shifting detection limits, but they’re also an invaluable resource for mineral exploration and mining. In this episode, we break down what qualifies as historical data, common pitfalls to watch for…
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Avoiding sub-optimal sampling with Mark Arundell
In this episode we talk with Mark Arundell, Principal Geologist at IMEx Consulting, to delve into the past, present, and future of geochemical sampling. With over 30 years of international experience, Mark shares insights into avoiding suboptimal sampling, the importance of understanding…
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The Sci-Fi and Facts of Orogenic Gold with Rich Goldfarb
In this episode of GeOCHemISTea we dive into the origins of orogenic gold deposits with Rich Goldfarb, exploring the science behind fluids, isotopes, and formation processes. From debunking magmatic theories to highlighting the facts of metamorphic origins, Rich shares the real tea (and quite a...
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Exploring with pXRF and LIBS with Steve Tambanis
In this episode of GeOCHemISTea, host Sam Scher sits down with Steve Tambanis, Managing Director at STX Consulting and Director at RealTime Priority Limited, to explore the challenges and innovations in field-based geochemical analysis using portable XRF (pXRF) and laser-induced breakdown...
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Upscaling pyrite chemistry with 4-acid data with Aidan Kitchener
Let's learn about upscaling LA-ICP-MS pyrite results to whole rock geochemistry data using PCA. On the way we'll hear about the life and times of an early career geochemist and some of the ins and outs of being a geochemical consultant. For this episode we read: Using whole rock and in situ…
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Geochemical exploration for greenstone gold deposits with Simon Griffiths
For this episode we read: Archean Lode Gold Deposits in Ontario (Colvine et al., 1984) aka the Greenstone Bible. We talk about Simon's transition from working from large mining companies to opening his own consultancy for all those considering this as part of their future. Our tea... have you…
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Seeing porphyries in a new light with Cristal Palafox
This is our second episode on GeOCHemISTea where we have branched out from geochemistry into a sister geoscience - spectral geology. For this episode take a look at another of the spectral ecosystem's end-members: hyperspectral core imaging. Join us as we talk about hyperspectral imaging, the…
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Analytical Geochemists & Instrumentation with Alan Koenig
Herein we present a general microanalytical technique rant, at least three soap boxes (my favorite being "I want to also rant about bulk chemistry techniques and why if these techniques are “so routine” that we still have some labs that suck at understanding (or respecting) how to do basic...
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The future of remote sensing in exploration with Sam Casement
This is our first episode on GeOCHemISTea where we have branched out from geochemistry into a sister geoscience - spectral geology. For this episode we start from one of the spectral ecosystem's end-members: remote sensing, or satellites and airborne. Join us as we talk about the newest...
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Outtakes with Rob Bowell
Want to hear some more of Rob's thoughts? But also just general silliness from before we started to record? Enjoy!
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Geochemistry, nature's gift to mine closure with Rob Bowell
For this episode we read Rob's paper: Natural attenuation in the vadose zone: Nature's gift to mine closure (Bowell, 2023) From rethinking the green economy to recovering metals and ores in naturally occurring ways, this episode encompasses a lot of topics currently in the news but a uniquely Rob...
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Sensor and method selection with Ben Chi
At GeOCHemISTea we love it when someone is so passionate about their geochemistry topic that they reach out and request(!!) to be on the show. An honor, Ben! So what ground did we cover... manifest your own destiny (or was that the US in the 1800s?). Ben has been a geochemist, a geophysicist, and…
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Head in the Clouds, Feet in the Data with Britt Bluemel
For this episode we read: Using machine learning to estimate a key missing geochemical variable in mining exploration: application of the Random Forest algorithm to multi-sensor core logging data (Schnitzler et al., 2019) A big difference between applied geochemistry and machine is the…
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Luminescence in Exploration with Sam Cantor
For this episode we read a chapter from Sam Cantor's thesis entitled: Exploration Tool: Tracking Cryptic Alteration Surrounding the Iscaycruz Zn (Pb-Cu-Ag) Skarn-CRD Deposit, Central Peru (Cantor, 2020) Have you implemented UV lamps into your exploration programs to help try and sort out complex...
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Dipping our toes into mesothermal gold with Jeff Bigelow
Honestly... I don't know which is more interesting... the content of the mesothermal gold chat or the tea. Almost 17 years after the work was originally presented, we dive into Jeff's honors project - a study on gold mineralization at the Callie Deposit, Dead Bullock Soak, NT, Australia. The...
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Geochemistry: Past, Present & Future ...A very io Reunion
A big thanks to Heidi Pass, Michelle Carery, Dave Lawie, Pim van Geffen, Putra Sadikin, Mike Whitbread, Des Pascoe, & Steve Sugden for rolling with this as we tried for our Holiday special to embody the Dickens-esq theme of Geochemistry: Past, Present & Future. Everyone on the show this month was...
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3D modeling for the geochem curious with Julia Oliveira
We always talk about fluids in geochemistry. How the ore metals are moving and how they are depositing - we think in pressure-temperature-redox space. However, when we get our geology, structure and geochemistry in 3D... and then we start to rotate a model for the first time... it is the most...
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Sulfate recycling at subduction zones and sulfur isotopes with Libby Sharman
There are geochemists and isotope geochemists... this episode we're speaking with the latter and this discussion could not be more interesting! Seriously. I found myself at different points so riveted (by that I mean thinking too hard) that I forgot I was supposed to be asking more questions. As...
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Environmental geochemistry studies to produce critical metals with Aaron Goodman
Critical metals are merely lists built based on geopolitics and supply chain, but are nonetheless essential for advanced technology and particularly the 'green' energy transition. Our interview spans softball critical metal questions to talking about the dredged material containing…
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Geochemistry & high sulfidation epithermal deposits with Simon Griffiths
This episode returns to our roots... to our very first episode with Simon where we talked about the geochemistry of Carlin deposits, except this time we're talking about high sulfidation epithermal systems. We're talking scale, exploration methodologies, geochemistry, and even a light amount of...
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Starting from knowing nothing to putting a few holes in it with James Buskard
This is a different conversation from those we’ve had before because we took two extremely different topics in hydrogeochemistry and pXRF on drillcore and looked at how these different techniques and scales come together in a junior exploration program. If you've never been to Nevada, no…
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Don't be fooled by randomness with Dave Lawie
A favorite thing Dave likes to say is "we do all sorts of things to the rocks... to try and understand them...." But then Dave often likes to tell geologists and especially mining engineers that "rocks don't give a shit to what we think of them. They're just rocks. They're just gonna sit there…
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Fusing core imagery with geochemistry with Brenton Crawford
For this episode we read the Datarock blog post Fusing core imagery and chemistry to model stratigraphy. Perhaps more interesting that the foundation of Datarock is built on Aussie rules football is some of the advice that Brenton Crawford, one of the the company's founders has to impart: that we...
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Modeling in Environmental Geochemistry with Tom Meuzelaar
For this episode we read: Geochemical Modeling of Water-Rock Interactions in Mining Environments (Alpers and Nordstrom, 1997). For those who've asked "how do I become an environmental geochemist?" ...Tom has some advice for you. And for those that have questions about the business of…
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Fit-for-purpose diagrams & lithogeochemical modeling with Putra Sadikin
We think we speak for everyone that the geochemical community is forever enriched by Putra's decision not to study plankton biostratigraphy or go into construction. Everyone's favorite ioGAS product manager stops by the show this month to talk to us about his journey through an MSc, MBA and life…
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LIBS: 50 Shades of White with Andrew Somers
For this episode we read: "Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy – An Emerging Analytical Tool for Mineral Exploration (Harmon et al., 2019)" Starting from the basics of what is LIBS through to cutting edge applications, Andrew Somers (Global Business Director: Geochemistry at SciAps Inc.) is here...
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Colloids, Flocculation, and Au Hyperenrichment at the Brucejack Deposit with Duncan McLeish
What are we observing versus what are we supposed to see, in other words, how (and how much) is dogma directing our interpretations? We explore this concept this month when we delve into Duncan McLeish's PhD work on the transport and deposition of gold at the Brucejack Deposit (Canada). In a…
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Changing Perspectives on Geochemistry, from Expense to a Company's Biggest Asset with Juan Carlos Ordóñez
Did you know that in addition to being one of our industry's geochemical powerhouses, JC is also an artist? But also as we continue along in the episode we'll see that he's perhaps a staunch businessman. For this month's episode we reviewed a PDAC short course organized by JC and Lynda Bloom...
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Creating workflows that integrate photos and geochemistry to augment core logging with McLean Trott
Article: Random forest rock type classification with integration of geochemical and photographic data (Trott et al., 2022) Do you want to integrate machine learning into your exploration workflow, but feel precluded from doing so because of complicated terminology in the majority of the…
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Demystifying Analytical Methods with Pim van Geffen
Have you perused a geochemistry lab schedule and not known where to start? Don't worry - the answers are not obvious and GeocHemiSTea is here to help! We have broken this episode into six sections to get to your answers quicker, but considering the complexity of the topic and the importance of...
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Bridging Classical Geochemistry and Geochemistry in Data Science with Mike Whitbread
For this episode we had a squiz at: "Mineral Geochemistry Vectoring: Uncovering Northwest Queensland’s Hidden Potential" (Steadman et al., 2021), "Improving geological logging of drill holes using geochemical data and data analytics for mineral exploration in the Gawler Ranges, South Australia"...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Every geoscientist is capable of understanding and applying geochemical data, however, at GeocHemiSTea we understand that there is an incredible amount of nuance and accumulated knowledge. We are here to break down the impediments towards geoscientists learning more about this exciting field! Are you a student wanting to break into the field? Listen to each episode to see how reknown geochemists got to where they are today. Are you intrigued by integrating geochemistry, but don't know how? Stay tuned! Lastly are you looking for some Tea/good gossip? We got it.
HOSTED BY
Sam Scher
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does GeOCHemISTea have?
GeOCHemISTea currently has 58 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is GeOCHemISTea about?
Every geoscientist is capable of understanding and applying geochemical data, however, at GeocHemiSTea we understand that there is an incredible amount of nuance and accumulated knowledge. We are here to break down the impediments towards geoscientists learning more about this exciting field! Are...
How often does GeOCHemISTea release new episodes?
GeOCHemISTea has 58 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to GeOCHemISTea?
You can listen to GeOCHemISTea on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts GeOCHemISTea?
GeOCHemISTea is created and hosted by Sam Scher.
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