Glaciers

Geology doesn’t end here on Earth, it’s just that most of us are stuck here and can’t look elsewhere. Seriously, how many of us have longed to go rock hunting on another planet but lack the transportation to do so? In this episode, we will meet someone who has found a way around this dilemma. Dr. Elizabeth Rampe, a geologist who is deputy principal investigator on the CheMIn instrument on NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover joins us to talk about the fascinating world of Martian geology.

Pennsylvania is known for many interesting features, but beaches are not high on the list. Yet Pennsylvania boasts a very unique shoreline with features worth exploring and understanding. Join us for a trip to Presque Isle State Park to explore a one-of-a-kind beach setting. 

Pymatuning State Park sits astride the Pennsylvania – Ohio border. The lake, constructed in the 1930’s is known for its fishing and boating but the area is also a wealth of glacial features. The region is also a historic gas and oil producing region. Join us as we explore the geology of the area.

Mt. St. Helens is a name that looms large in the mind of any geologist or the mind of anyone who was alive in the USA in 1980. The 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens was one of the greatest natural disasters ever to hit the United States of America. The sobering part of it is that it will happen again. This podcast examines the lead up to the 1980 eruption from the point of view of the geologists who met and dealt with the event.  

Most geologists are familiar with the Younger Dryas, that somewhat enigmatic period about 12,500 years ago when the northern hemisphere, warming as it came out of the Wisconsin Glaciation, suddenly cooled for a few centuries. As it turns out, this was part of a series of events known as Heinrich Events. Join us for an interview with Dr. Elliott Arnold of West Chester University for a lively interview on Heinrich Events.

Western Pennsylvania is known for many interesting geologic features, including those of glacial origins. Let’s explore the unusual features of two of Pennsylvania’s beautiful parks. Though very close to each other, Moraine State Park and McConnell’s Mill offer related oddly contrasting geologic wonders.

Anyone who has done geologic work in the Keystone State might wonder how things got so complicated. Pennsylvania’s geologic history is long and complex. Join us to explore how that complexity came about.

We don’t normally think about the relationship between the core of the Earth and the ability of the planet to support life. But it turns out that complex life on Earth would be impossible without a spinning iron-rich core producing the magnetosphere that shields us from the deadly solar wind. Let’s take a look upward and downward and examine the center of the Earth as well as its far-flung outer boundary.

Glaciers have been one of the most significant forces that have sculpted Pennsylvania in the last 50,000 years. Without the Pleistocene glaciations, the world would look very different and be a very different place to live. Let’s explore what glaciers are, how they form and why they are so important. 

The White Clay Creek Park and Preserve is found in a unique setting both historically and geologically. While most of Pennsylvania is underlain by sedimentary rocks, the White Clay is within the Piedmont just above the coastal plain, and area composed almost entirely of high-grade metamorphic rocks. Come and explore the unique geology of this area.