Earth on the Rocks

On the season 2 finale, we turn the episode on its head and I'm in the hot seat. Our guests, Nora Gauss and Kaylor Jasiak, who are both undergraduates (either currently or recently graduated) in the department, interview me on behalf of GeoClub, a student-run organization that helps build community through social events. Hear about some of the events GeoClub has put on, what applying for graduate school is like in today's climate, what goes into the day for a faculty member, the thought process behind forming this podcast, what a clean lab is and how it functions, working in...

Today on the show we have Emily Throop, a masters student focusing on the impacts of tree throw (the divot and mound of soil a tree leaves when it is uprooted) on landscape evolution. Hear about Emily's beginnings in informatics, her experience with GIS and how she used it when she worked for an environmental consulting firm, how tree throw may impact the rockiness of a hill slope, what it's like teaching as a graduate student, and some great book recs.

On the show today is Ruth Droppo, an artist, graphic designer, and marketing and communications lead for our Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department. Learn about scientific storytelling through design, Ruth's journey from printmaking and pinhole photography during an MFA program to working in an EAS department, the critical role of art in science communication, and Ruth's process for working with scientists to more effectively help tell their story.

On today's episode of Earth on the Rocks we have Dr. David Polly, a vertebrate paleontologist interested in how past changes (geologically, climatically, environmentally) have affected life and how life may have responded or adapted in turn. Learn about sampling of fossils (both in the field and from museums), what the early internet was like and David's experience at the front lines of it, the giant fossil snake Titanoboa, national monuments and their vital role in paleontology (and how that resulted in David being called to Congress to testify), and learning Finnish through reading The Hobbit.

On the show today is Lorena Jevnikar, a masters student focused on conservation paleobiology through studying coral diversity in the Caribbean. Hear about the Beverly (a drink you need to experience for yourself), how coral populations are declining and why we need to conserve them, coral bleaching and its relationship to algae, the state stone of Michigan and how it inspired Lorena's journey, and what life is like as a masters student.

Joining the show today is Dr. Doug Edmonds, a sedimentologist interested in how sediment is generated, transported, and deposited and how that may change over time. Hear about sediment's role in human habitation and resource development, whether state boundaries are accurate, how LiDAR works for measuring topography, the balance between field and computer work, and about cell phones in schools (and the olden days when you had to actually press out text messages using T9 - look it up).

On the show today we have Diya Kamnani, a current PhD student studying atmospheric rivers. Hear about the health benefits of a gin and tonic, how you identify an atmospheric river, how pilots take atmospheric rivers into account for their flight plans, Diya's work with invasive species (and how her skills in the earth sciences translated there), and international versions of American fast food chains.

Leading off the second half of season 2 is Dr. Ben Kravitz, a climate scientist who focuses on modeling Earth's response when we push the Earth system involving things like greenhouse gas emissions or geoengineering. Hear about trash rain (and why weather balloons may not be the best bet for geoengineering), how we can model the impacts of stratospheric injection (where we intentionally put things in our air to try to combat climate change), what goes into a Model Intercomparison Project (MIP), and some thoughts on the Winter Olympics.

On the season 2 midseason finale we welcome Molly Karnes, a stable isotope ecologist and lab technician. Hear about a new regional drink - Cheerwine, using shark teeth (both modern and ancient) to understand the environment in four dimensions, predatory snails, how a lab technician is a bit like an instrument mechanic, and a new crossover between Sonic and Jello.

Joining the show today is Janie Wittmer, a PhD student focusing on hydrogeochemistry. Hear what happens if you were to drink incredibly pure water (hint: it's not great), what life is like in environmental consulting, how rocks can actually help with carbon emissions, and a recommendation for a potential electronic album of the year.

Joining us today is the newly minted Dr. Danielle (Danny) Peltier, a paleontologist or geologist/paleoanthropologist that studies human evolution through time. Ever wondered what it means when someone says they've defended their PhD? Listen to hear about everything that leads up to and then what happens during that process, culminating in becoming a doctor, along with learning about the volcanic connections to human evolution, working at White Sands National Park through Geoscientists in the Park (including why the sand stays so cool), the transition from undergraduate to graduate school, and tips for cooking for one or meal prep.<...

Joining us today is Dr. Ginny Gong, an observational and earthquake seismologist studying what causes earthquakes and what they can tell us about our planet. Learn about white coffee, how we can tell the structure of the Earth deep below the surface, what a seismometer is and how we install or deploy them, the logistics of measuring plate movement and deformation in the oceans (which can involve a cruise, some melting metal, and balloons), and IU's connection to CBS's Sunday Morning. 

Join us today to hear from Dr. Peter Sauer, a low-temperature geochemist who specializes in stable isotopes and organic chemistry. Learn about his work on Earth's surface that encompasses living things, geology, and history (both Earth and human history), how isotopes were applied to identify and understand the life of King Richard III, lake sediments and their connection to ice sheets, the art to problem solving and troubleshooting, and the benefit to being curious.

Join us today to hear from Dr. Erika Elswick, a low temperature geochemist and Director of the IU Field Station. Learn about the aggressive squirrels in the Grand Canyon, museum work, legacy mines and Superfund sites (including the Berkeley Pit), a bit about the IU Field Station, and some fun side quests of Erika's including her impressive birding abilities.

On this episode, hear from Owen Madsen, a current Ph.D. candidate studying paleontology and self-proclaimed professional question asker. Learn about the Gray Fossil Site, an unusually fossil-rich site in eastern Tennessee that gives us a window into the climate of the past for this region, the importance of science communication and how that works at different levels, the North American lion - a now extinct lion species that is a favorite of Owen's, and the appeal of physical media. 

Join us as we talk with Dr. Paul Staten, an atmospheric and climate dynamicist interested in large-scale wind patterns that impact weather and climate. Hear about the importance of the winds near the tropics for our weather all across the globe, orchestral video game music, how we can understand fluid behaviors through Navier-Stokes (and Paul's attempt at a million dollar prize), and one of the (IMO) greatest scientific success stories - the ozone hole - and its relation to weather and climate.

We have a few surprises for our season 1 finale featuring Dr. Kaj Johnson, a geophysicist studying earthquakes remotely. Hear about Kaj's journey into the field, the connection between show choirs and teaching, listen in on a couple of potential new segments he promotes (including a drink of non-choice and a friendly competition), hear from a couple of new voices with familiar names - Cari Metz (our producer) and Betsy Leijas (our technical board operator), and stick around for Walther's Outlaws (our department band)...it's worth the wait.Thanks to all of our listeners for sticking with us...

Dr. Arndt Schimmelmann joins us today, a geochemist focusing on organics in both natural systems and when developing lab standards. Listen in to hear about a couple of close calls in the lab, exciting field work in caves and lakes in Vietnam, his well-known reference materials program (including a range of standards from foods to hydrocarbons to caffeine!), and his views on the current state of the public trust in science.

On the show today is Dr. Claudia Johnson, a geobiologist studying ecosystems of the past and present to understand what adaptations things like corals have made to survive environmental changes over geologic time. Hear about coral reefs and coral farming (or growing baby corals to then place in various spots in our oceans), the role of reefs in our daily lives (even when we don't realize it, like for fisheries, hurricane protection, and the global economy), how we are always evolving as learners and teachers, and the surprise appearance of scuba gear at the Oscars.

Joining us today is Dr. David Lilien, a glaciologist studying glaciers and ice sheets and how ice moves. Learn about party ice - popping and fizzy glacier ice, how ice flows and moves (and how we measure it!), what goes into a field excursion to study ice (like in Antarctica or Greenland), and mushroom hunting!