PlanetGeo: The Geology Podcast

In this episode, we delve into the fascinating concept of hypsometry and its applications in understanding Earth's topography. We start with a light-hearted email from a listener, but quickly transition into discussing the principles of hypsometric curves. We break down how these curves provide insights into the distribution and stability of Earth's crust, oceanic and continental. Through our conversation, we explore the role of plate tectonics and erosion in shaping the Earth's surface, making this complex scientific topic accessible and engaging, even touching on classroom applications and educational tools.

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!
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What type of rock has really big minerals and lots of uncommon elements? It's a pegmatite! Pegmatites contain lots of important elements and minerals, both for our economy and for mineral collectors.
Join us for a tour of pegmatites. We give quick low-down on how pegmatites form. They contain really large mineral grains, which usually implies that they cooled slowly. But, pegmatites form from the leftover fluids from magma chambers and contain all the uncommon (or unpopular!) elements that get concentrated. Once they reach a certain concentration they form rare minerals that are concentrated in things like Lithium, Cesium, or Beryllium!
The minerals in pegmatites grow so fast because the fluid they grow in is much less viscous (more watery) than magma. This means that atoms and ions can diffuse much more quickly to the sites of mineral nucleation, allowing for massive (really really massive, up to 30 ft) crystals of minerals like spodumene and beryl to form.

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ_A82nOMu0nIvZto6zMPqg
Email: [email protected]

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!
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Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Support us: https://planetgeocast.com/support-us
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://planetgeocast.com/

Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO!
Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Today we get to talk about something really relevant to our everyday lives, and the future - Geothermal Energy!
Geothermal Energy is a term that means a few different things, but it all relies on the Earth being somewhat hot. So, before we dive into the question of what Geothermal Energy is, we need to figure out why the Earth is hot!
The Earth produces a ton of heat, which is really important to understand how our planet operates over long times (remember plate tectonics??). The heat comes from several sources, and some of it is left over from when the Earth formed - so some of the geothermal energy is tapping into 4.5 billion-year-old heat!
Geothermal energy takes two major forms: 1) passive geothermal heat pumps, often used in residential houses like Jesse's and 2) more active geothermal power plants that use lots of heat from the Earth!
As usual, follow us on social media and let us know what you think by sending us an email!
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Website: https://planetgeocast.com
Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Email: [email protected]

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: [email protected]
Website: https://planetgeocast.com/

Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO!
Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Are you planning a trip to the Grand Canyon soon? Are you interested in seeing some cool geoscience features? Join us today as we discuss a few great hikes to check out while visiting the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, USA.
We discuss hiking trails such as the South Kaibab Trail down to the aptly-named Ooh Ahh Point (so beautiful!), and end up at Skeleton Point for a full view of the Canyon in all its glory! Alternatively, you could take the Bright Angel trail, a somewhat nicer hike because of all the restrooms and water stations every 1.5 miles, stop at the amazingly lush Indian Garden, and eventually make your way out to the Plateau Point for a dramatic view directly down to the Colorado River.
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon has an amazing amount of views and hiking that are easily accessible to everyone, even if you don't want to hike very far. For instance, you could start by visiting the small cairns that contain actual samples of the 1.7 billion-year-old Vishnu Schist, or by walking the Trail of Time, where for every large step you take down into the Canyon is equal to going back in time One Million Years in the rock record!
As always, don't feed the wildlife, and downhill hikers always yields to uphill hikers , and everyone yields to mule trains!
If you want to hear an overview of the geology of the Grand Canyon, check out our previous episode covering the full history with detailed descriptions of the major geoscience features of the park. The Grand Canyon has over 1.9 billion years of geology on display, and it is all very visible in a stunning landscape!

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Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ_A82nOMu0nIvZto6zMPqg
Email: [email protected]
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: [email protected]
Website: https://planetgeocast.com/

Learn all the basics of geology in our new conversational textbook - campGEO!
Available here: geo.campcourses.com
Join us as we discuss the science behind the greenhouse effect and how it all works.
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.
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Instagram: @planetgeocast
Twitter: @planetgeocast
Facebook: @planetgeocast
Email: [email protected]
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: [email protected]
Website: https://planetgeocast.com/