PlanetGeo: The Geology Podcast

Chris is back!! 
Today we answer the simple question - Why do we see a predictable geologic and topographic progression as we drive from flat plains into mountains? 
We use examples from Michigan to Tennessee, the Canadian Rockies, Glacier, the Bighorns, Colorado, and the Appalachians to walk through a common sequence: we start on broad areas of mostly flat-lying sedimentary rocks (sandstones, shales, limestones) deposited in shallow seas, rivers, intertidal settings, and deserts; as we approach the range, we cross subtle, long-wavelength, low-amplitude folds that are often hard to notice without measurements; then we enter the fold-and-thrust belt where anticlines, synclines, and large thrust faults stack sedimentary packages and create dramatic ridges, valleys, and cliff faces (thin-skinned deformation). 
We explain how the growing mountain load flexes the plate to form a foreland basin that fills with sediment eroded off the range, typically thickening and coarsening toward the mountains. Farther inboard, we describe how erosion and unloading help exhume deep, high-grade metamorphic “roots” in metamorphic core complexes (gneiss, schist, and other intensely metamorphosed rocks), and how overthickened crust can later relax and extend, aiding exhumation. 
We also discuss how some mountain belts preserve suture-related features like ophiolite complexes, while others show subduction-related batholiths (e.g., Sierra Nevada, Idaho Batholith), and we note modern analogs such as the Persian Gulf foreland basin.

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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!

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On this episode of Planet Geo, we welcome Danielle Bennett—a startup operator with a venture capital background (and not a geoscientist by training) who’s been talking with tons of geologists, hydrogeologists, and engineers while helping build a geoscience-adjacent mapping company at Deep Earth Tech. Danielle shares how growing up with entrepreneur parents (who ran a groundwater-focused engineering firm) shaped her path, why she started a social-impact company in college, and how she moved from corporate finance to FinTech and then into venture capital for about six years. 
They dig into what she’s learned from working with the geoscience community—friendly, non-confrontational, and highly opinionated—and why geoscientists may be slower to found startups (a strong perfection/excellence culture and highly localized expertise). 
Danielle breaks down “deep tech” in practical terms (asset-heavy and/or science-and-engineering-driven tech), why capital is moving earlier into deep tech, and how VCs are increasingly pulling innovations from universities and incubators. The conversation also gets into which geoscience-adjacent areas feel investable (like shallow geothermal heating/cooling, critical minerals, and renewables) and why groundwater can be harder to fund due to public-agency buying cycles and complex bureaucracy. 
Danielle closes by defining key funding terms—bootstrapping, debt financing, private equity, and venture capital—plus what VCs look for (why now, why this team, and scale) and common red flags (unclear messaging, weak grasp of numbers, and unjustified mega-rounds).
We hope you enjoy this excellent interview!
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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In this riveting episode, we catch up with Dr. Jonathan Stock, Chief Scientist for Innovation at NASA's Intelligent Systems Division. We dive deep into the realms of geosciences and discuss how innovation can transform our understanding of the Earth and beyond. From quantum gravity gradiometers to AI-driven geophysical mapping, Dr. Stock reveals the tech that could redefine geospatial exploration. We also ponder why geosciences lag behind other fields in entrepreneurship and innovation and how cross-disciplinary collaborations could be the game-changers we need. Join us as we weave through tales of awe-inspiring geological discoveries and the frontier spirit that keeps the field exciting.
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/

In this episode, we bring you a riveting Q&A session with GeoGirl Dr. Rachel Phillips and Dr. Joshua Davies, both experts in geology who explore the mysterious world of banded iron formations (BIFs). We dive deep into what BIFs are, when they formed, and their significance. Josh unpacks the debated origins of these rocks, discussing how they may be the most hotly contested rocks in the geological world due to our limited understanding of their formation process, despite their voluminous presence on Earth. We touch on how BIF layers represent cycles influenced by Milankovitch cycles, and whether microbial activity plays a role in their formation. Josh explains that while BIFs peters out around 1.8 billion years ago, there are unique conditions and debates on secondary processes that impact our current understanding. We humorously explore modern analogs, like weird anoxic lakes, and laugh about how our Earth would need a huge meteorite impact to revert to BIF-forming conditions—a scenario we're not quite rooting for! Finally, we ponder the possibility of extraterrestrial BIFs, symbolizing our endless curiosity about space and deep time. This one’s a dense, iron-packed dive for sure—just like BIFs!
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
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Website: https://planetgeocast.com/

In this episode, we are kicking off a new series on Geology News. We delve into why Venezuela is rich in oil, the complex tectonic interactions, and the geological formations that make it a hotspot for heavy, sour crude oil. We also take a humorous stroll down memory lane, reminiscing about our hard rock geology days and the unintuitive yet captivating world of sedimentary rocks. Join us as we explore why Venezuelan oil isn't just black gold but a treasure trove of geological intrigue. 
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/