In this episode, we discuss gold, including how it and massive gold deposits are formed and its journey through human history.

We also ask if alchemy is possible, including some examples of failed (and possibly successful) attempts, and finish by suggesting that Olympic gold medalists may not want to put that medal in their mouths.

For more cool geology and Earth facts follow us on Insta and Tiktok (@coepod) and X (@thecoepod).

Hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant element and has been proven to be a revolutionary source of renewable energy.

In this episode, we discuss how using hydrogen generates electricity, how we produce hydrogen, and how natural reserves can be seen in the subsurface. We break down the types of hydrogen and how we can use rocks to store hydrogen underground until we need it.

We also explain how billions of years ago, our atmosphere was much richer in hydrogen and depleted in oxygen, and how Earth’s magnetic field helped produce the oxygen-rich atmosphere we see today.

We end by talking about the use of hydrogen in developing large balloons for reconnaissance during the American Civil War. This led to Abraham Lincoln establishing the Union Army Balloon Corps in 1861.

Enjoy!

In this episode we discuss dunes.

How do dunes form and what do they look like when preserved in rocks? What is the geology behind the recent Dune movies? What sounds do migrating sand grains make?

We cover all this and more in our 20 minute episode. In this weeks edition of "what in the world?" we also play a very special geology version of the 1978 classic hit by The Police, "Roxanne".

Enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @coepod, or Twitter/X @thecoepod

In this episode, we discuss how and where earthquakes occur, including how they are measured and how we predict them using the animal kingdom.

We also chat about the recent April New York earthquake and the devastating 2004 boxing day tsunami which killed approximately 230,000 people.

We finish by discussing how earthquakes produce seismic waves that are used to provide information on the layers of Earth.

Enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @coepod, or Twitter/X @thecoepod

This episode focusses on diamonds.

We cover how and where diamonds form, how geologists find them, what determines their value and what are the most valuable diamonds in the world.

Topics include using sub-glacial streams or eskers to trace the source of diamonds upstream, the value of the largest diamond in the world, and the formation of diamond cores in dwarf stars.

We also discuss diamonds that are older than our sun, and how it rains diamonds in Neptune and Uranus.

#diamonds #kimberlites #geology #Cullinan

In this episode, we discuss one of the most famous geological sites in the world: Lyme Regis, Dorset, UK.

Lyme Regis is famous for some of best-preserved fossils in Europe, showing colonies of animals from the Jurassic period (200 million years ago). The alternating geology also gives insights into how the Earth's cyclical movements, or Milankovitch cycles, effect ancient climates and ecosystems.

Lyme Regis was the home of the famous geologist, Mary Anning, who changed the face of UK geology and was also the inspiration for a famous tongue twister...

#geology #Earth #fossil #maryanning #LymeRegis

In this episode we have Dr Matt Genge on the podcast. Matt is a senior lecturer at Imperial College London in Earth and Planetary Science.

It was a fantastic chat covering a broad range of topics. We discuss the recent Psyche mission to a metal-rich asteroid in space, how meteors that fell to Earth may be responsible for the first drops of water on the planet and the origins of life. We even discuss how a volcanic eruption may have contributed to the loss of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.

Matt is a world-renowned researcher in meteoritics and planetary science and terrestrial igneous petrology. He has appeared in numerous documentaries and TV programmes for History, BBC, and Sky news, and has written many feature articles for The Guardian. It was a pleasure to have him discuss his research and so much more. For more geology and Earth facts, as well as the latest updates on new episodes, follow us on Instagram @coepod and X @thecoepod