Best Sedimentary Podcasts (2024)

1
Evan Smith on Diamonds from the Deep Mantle 34:36

38m ago34:36

34:36

We have only a tantalizingly small number of sources of information about the Earth’s deep mantle. One of these comes from the rare diamonds that form at depths of about 650 km and make their way up to the base of the lithosphere, and then later to the surface via rare volcanic eruptions of kimberlite magma. In the podcast, Evan Smith talks about a…

1
Roberta Rudnick on the Continental Crustal Composition Paradox 27:53

13d ago27:53

27:53

Continental crust is derived from magmas that come from the mantle. So, naively, one might expect it to mirror the composition of the mantle. But our measurements indicate that it does not. Continental crust contains significantly more silica and less magnesium and iron than the mantle. How can we be sure this discrepancy is real, and what do we th…

1
Alex Copley on Soft Continents 32:04

1M ago32:04

32:04

We tend to think of continental tectonic plates as rigid caps that float on the asthenospheric mantle, much like oceanic plates. But while some continental regions have the most rigid rocks on the planet, wide swathes of the continents are not rigid at all. In the podcast, Alex Copley explains how this differentiation comes about and points to evid…

1
Shanan Peters on Quantifying the Global Sedimentary Rock Record 27:14

2M ago27:14

27:14

Shanan Peters believes we need to assemble a global record of sedimentary rock coverage over geological time. As he explains in the podcast, such a record enables us to disentangle real changes in the long-term evolution of the Earth-life system from biases introduced by the unevenness and incompleteness of the sedimentary record. To this end, he a…

1
Paul Smith on the Cambrian Explosion 32:44

2M ago32:44

32:44

Complex life did not start in the Cambrian - it was there in the Ediacaran, the period that preceded the Cambrian. And the physical and chemical environment that prevailed in the early to middle Cambrian may well have arisen at earlier times in Earth history. So what exactly was the Cambrian explosion? And what made it happen when it did, between 5…

1
Scott Bolton on the Most Volcanically Active Body in the Solar System 24:45

3M ago24:45

24:45

Jupiter's innermost Galilean moon, Io, is peppered with volcanos that are erupting almost all the time. In this episode, Scott Bolton, Principal Investigator of NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter, describes what we're learning from this space probe. Since its arrival in 2017, its orbit around the giant planet has progressively shifted to take it close …

1
Bob White on How Magma Moves in the Crust 36:45

3M ago36:45

36:45

We know that most magma originates in the Earth’s mantle. As it pushes up through the many kilometers of lithosphere to the surface, it pauses in one or more magma chambers or partially melted mush zones for periods of up to a few millennia before erupting. But while we have seismic evidence and models and support this picture, we have not hitherto…

1
Richard Ernst on Large Igneous Provinces 31:56

4M ago31:56

31:56

At roughly 15-25-million-year intervals since the Archean, huge volumes of lava have spewed onto the Earth’s surface. These form the large igneous provinces, which are called flood basalts when they occur on continents. As Richard Ernst explains in the podcast, the eruption of a large igneous province can initiate the rifting of continents, disrupt…

1
Damian Nance on What Drives the Supercontinent Cycle 35:58

6M ago35:58

35:58

Perhaps as many as five times over the course of Earth history, most of the continents gathered together to form a supercontinent. The supercontinents lasted on the order of a hundred million years before breaking apart and dispersing the continents. For decades, we theorized that this cycle of amalgamation and breakup was caused by near-surface te…

1
David Kohlstedt on Simulating the Mantle in the Lab 32:00

6M ago32:00

32:00

The Earth’s tectonic plates float on top of the ductile portion of the Earth’s mantle called the asthenosphere. The properties of the asthenosphere, in particular its viscosity, are thought to play a key role in determining how plates move, subduct, and how melt is produced and accumulates. We would like to know what the viscosity of the the asthen…

1
Claire Corkhill on Geological Radioactive Waste Disposal 31:07

7M ago31:07

31:07

In many countries, nuclear power is a significant part of the energy mix being planned as part of the drive to achieve net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions. This means that we will be producing a lot more radioactive waste, some of it with half-lives that approach geological timescales, which are orders of magnitude greater than timescales associated …

1
Mahesh Anand on What Human Return to the Moon Means for Lunar Geology 32:30

8M ago32:30

32:30

We have learned a great deal about the geology of the Moon from remote sensing instruments aboard lunar orbiters, from robot landers, from the Apollo landings, and from samples returned to the Earth by Apollo and robot landings. But in 2025, when NASA plans to land humans on the Moon for the first time since 1972, a new phase of lunar exploration i…

1
Susan Brantley on Earth's Geological Thermostat 27:44

9M ago27:44

27:44

At the core of Earth’s geological thermostat is the dissolution of silicate minerals in the presence of atmospheric carbon dioxide and liquid water. But at large scales, the effectiveness and temperature sensitivity of this reaction depends on geomorphological, climatic, and tectonic factors that vary greatly from place to place. As described in th…

1
Clark Johnson on the Banded Iron Formations 28:42

9M ago28:42

28:42

Banded Iron Formations (BIFs) are a visually striking group of sedimentary rocks that are iron rich and almost exclusively deposited in the Precambrian. Their existence points to a major marine iron cycle that does not operate today. Several theories have been proposed to explain how the BIFs formed. While they all involve the precipitation of ferr…

1
Catherine Mottram on Dating Rock Deformation 36:05

10M ago36:05

36:05

The geological history of most regions is shaped by a whole range of processes that occur at temperatures ranging from above 800°C to as low as 100°C. The timing of events occurring over a particular temperature range can be recorded by a mineral which crystallizes over that range. The mineral calcite is suitable for recording low-temperature proce…

1
Martin Van Kranendonk on the Earliest Life on Earth 33:28

12M ago33:28

33:28

In this episode, Martin Van Kranendonk lays out a convincing case for life on Earth going back to at least 3.48 billion years ago. To find evidence for very ancient life, we need to look at rocks that have been largely undisturbed over billions of years of Earth history. Such rocks have been found in the Pilbara region of northwest Australia. As ex…

1
Rob Butler on the Origin of the Alps 30:46

1y ago30:46

30:46

The Alps are the most intensively studied of all mountain chains, being readily accessed from the geological research centers of Europe. But despite this, there remains considerable uncertainty as to how they formed, especially in the Eocene (about 40 million years ago) when the events that led directly to Alpine mountain-building started. In the p…

1
John Wakabayashi on the Franciscan Complex 32:45

1y ago32:45

32:45

The Franciscan Complex is a large accretionary prism that has been accreted onto the western margin of the North American continent. Unlike most such prisms, which are submarine, it is exposed on land, making it a magnet for researchers such as John Wakabayashi. In the podcast, he describes this remarkable complex and explains the mechanisms that m…

1
Bruce Levell on Bias in the Sedimentary Record 33:56

1y ago33:56

33:56

How can we tell if the sedimentary record is good enough to make solid inferences about the geological past? After all, it can be difficult, or even impossible, to infer what is missing, or indeed whether anything is missing at all. As he explains in the podcast, Bruce Levell tackles this question by combining fieldwork with systematic analysis bas…

1
Sujoy Mukhopadhyay on Probing the Hadean World with Noble Gases 33:50

1+ y ago33:50

33:50

In a recent episode, Nadja Drabon spoke about newly discovered zircon crystals that formed during the late Hadean and early Archean, when the Earth was between 500 million and a billion years old. The zircons revealed information about processes occurring in the Earth’s nascent crust, casting light on when and how modern-day plate tectonics may hav…

1
Patrick Fulton on the 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake 30:09

1+ y ago30:09

30:09

In 2011, a massive earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Japan. The destructive power of the earthquake was amplified by a giant tsunami that swept ashore, killing over 15,000 people. A major cause of the tsunami was the 50-m slip along the plate boundary fault between the subducting Pacific plate and the overriding North American plate. Patri…

1
Romain Jolivet on the 2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquakes 29:52

1+ y ago29:52

29:52

Romain Jolivet studies active faults and the relative motion of tectonic plates. His research focuses on the relationship between slow, aseismic slip that occurs “silently” between earthquakes and the rapid slip accompanying earthquakes. As he describes in the podcast, he uses interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) images from radar satel…

1
Dan Rothman on Thresholds of Catastrophe in the Earth System 37:26

1+ y ago37:26

37:26

The geological record shows that the Earth’s carbon cycle suffered over 30 major disruptions during the Phanerozoic. Some of the biggest ones were accompanied by mass extinctions. Dan Rothman analyzed these disruptions to find a pattern governing their magnitude and duration. As he explains in the podcast, this pattern is suggestive of a non-linear…

1
A Keg Of Beer & A Bucket Of KFC aka The Marathon Special 1:01:37

1+ y ago1:01:37

1:01:37

The Above Average Sports Quiz Thing returns for a special episode to celebrate the fact that Tom finally went to the dentist last summer! True to their word (as can be heard in an episode back in October 2021), following this momentous occasion they're all now running the 2023 TCS London Marathon in support of CardiomyopathyUK alongside friend of t…

1
Nadja Drabon on a New Lens into the Hadean Eon 26:28

1+ y ago26:28

26:28

Vanishingly few traces of the early Earth are known, so when a new source of zircon crystals of Hadean age is discovered, it makes a big difference to what we can infer about that eon. In the podcast, Nadja Drabon describes how she analyzed the new zircons she and her colleagues discovered and what they reveal about the Earth’s crust between about …

1
Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas Everybody! aka Ellen's Festive Finale 1:19:57

1+ y ago1:19:57

1:19:57

The Above Average (Not) Sports Quiz Thing reaches the end of another season with a tense finale as Tzevai and Will fight it out to see who'll be crowned Season Seven Champion. Tom can still throw a spanner in the works for either of them with a good performance but can he improve enough? For the festive finale there's another guest host making her …

1
John Cottle on the Petrochronology Revolution 29:08

1+ y ago29:08

29:08

Over the course of Earth history, many parts of the crust have undergone multiple episodes of metamorphism. Modern methods of dating and measuring trace-element abundances are now able to tease out the timing and conditions of the individual episodes. But new techniques were needed before these methods could be scaled up to unravel regional tectoni…

1
What You Been Up To You Slaaags? aka Jon's Film and TV Quiz 1:25:43

2y ago1:25:43

1:25:43

The Above Average (Not) Sports Quiz Thing find another guest host this week as friend of the show, Jon, returns with a bit of film and TV to test the team! It's tight at the top going into this one as Tzevai and Will sit at the top of the table tied on 25 points, while Tom props them up on not very many... If you want to skip straight to the quiz i…

1
Martin Gibling on Rivers in the Geological Record - Part 2 25:06

2y ago25:06

25:06

This episode is the second of two of my conversation with Martin Gibling. In the first episode, we discuss fluvial deposits in the geological record and we trace the effect that the break-up of Pangea around 200 million years ago had on river systems. In this episode, we address the history of the rivers of Europe and the Americas, as well as the i…

1
Martin Gibling on Rivers in the Geological Record - Part 1 29:39

2y ago29:39

29:39

Rivers can seem very ephemeral, often changing course or drying up entirely. Yet some rivers have persisted for tens or even hundreds of millions of years, even testifying to the breakup of Pangea, the most recent supercontinent, about 200 million years ago. On the one hand, their courses may be determined by tectonic processes such as the formatio…

1
Mae Hi'n Bwrw Hen Wragedd A Ffyn aka Classic BBC Theme Tunes 1:00:39

2y ago1:00:39

1:00:39

The Above Average (Not) Sports Quiz Thing is without a guest host this week but the quizzing continues as they go head to head in a music related quiz which just so happens to celebrate the 100 years of the BBC! If you want to skip straight to the quiz it's around the 34 minute mark! We hope you enjoy the new season. Don't forget to leave us a rati…

1
Ooh, That Sounds Rather Sedimentary! aka Andy's Super Swansea Quiz 1:19:14

2y ago1:19:14

1:19:14

The Above Average (Not) Sports Quiz Thing brings in another first time guest host this week as Andy writes a quiz on the back of a Wagamama's menu on a 4 hour train journey to come and ask us some questions about a place that's special to all of us. It's a pretty shitty city they say - it is of course, Swansea!! There's a bit less pre-amble in this…

1
Eating Meatballs In IKEA To Swedish Porn aka Jo's Scandinavian Quiz 1:14:27

2y ago1:14:27

1:14:27

The Above Average (Not) Sports Quiz Thing brings in another first time guest host this week as Jo finally takes time out from cleaning the bathroom to make an appearance on the show as Tzevai, Tom and Will take a trip round IKEA (and the rest of what Scandinavia has to offer) go head to head in her quiz! There's a lot of pre-amble in this one - if …

1
He's Sniffing His Wine On Mine aka Dan's QEII Quiz Part II 30:28

2y ago30:28

30:28

The Above Average (Not) Sports Quiz Thing continues with the second part of Dan's regal Queen Elizabeth II quiz. We left it with all to play for as Tzevai, Tom and Will battled to see who would be crowned (get it?!) the victor for this week. Who will be the Above Average King? We hope you enjoy the new season. Don't forget to leave us a rating, rev…

1
Anna Fleming on the Experience of Rock Climbing 18:28

2y ago18:28

18:28

This episode is a bit of a departure from the objective approach to geology of past episodes in that here we address the subjective nature of various rocks as experienced by a rock climber with a literary bent. A rock climber’s very survival can depend on the properties of a rock encountered along a climbing route. This engenders a uniquely intense…

1
Hot Margaret, Not To Be Confused With Little Margaret aka Dan's QEII Quiz Part I 55:51

2y ago55:51

55:51

The Above Average (Not) Sports Quiz Thing continues with another non-sport quiz as our most illustrious guest host, Dan The Man, is back again with another excellent quiz! Tzevai, Tom and Will go head-to-head again to see who this week's winner is, except we've decided to split it into two weeks so you don't have to listen to it all in one go. Ther…

1
The Challenge Is W**nking Off A Wolf aka Ross' General Knowledge Quiz 52:28

2y ago52:28

52:28

The Above Average (Not) Sports Quiz Thing continues with another non-sport quiz as friend of the show, Ross, steps in at the last minute with bit of general knowledge! Tzevai, Tom and Will go head-to-head again to see who this week's winner is. There's the usual dedications, a bit feedback and of course, a wheel song and a quiz! Did Tom see the rea…

1
The One With The First Female Guest aka Charlie's Fabulous Friends Quiz 49:50

2y ago49:50

49:50

The Above Average (Not) Sports Quiz Thing continues with another non-sport quiz and break new ground as they welcome a very special guest host, as Charlie breaks new ground as the shows very first female guest! And she's bringing the boys a quiz on all things Friends as Tzevai, Tom and Will go head-to-head again. There's the usual dedications, a bi…

1
Tom's Fave Is Rio But It's Not Even Pixar aka Dan's Delightful Disney Quiz 1:24:21

2y ago1:24:21

1:24:21

The Above Average Sports Quiz Thing returns with a twist - taking on anything BUT sports quizzes for the season!! There's a special guest host bringing us a delightful quiz on all things Disney related as Tzevai, Tom and Will go head-to-head for the whole season. There's the usual dedications, very little feedback and of course, a wheel song and a …

1
Brian Upton on the Unique Rift Zone of South Greenland 26:28

2y ago26:28

26:28

Between 1.3 and 1.1 billion years ago, magma from the Earth's mantle intruded into a continent during the assembly of the supercontinent called Nuna. Through good fortune, the dykes and central complexes that resulted have been preserved in near-pristine condition in what is now the south of Greenland. The dykes are extraordinarily thick, and the c…

1
Geoff Abers on Subduction Zones and the Geological Water Cycle 27:39

2y ago27:39

27:39

Subduction zones are places where a slab of oceanic lithosphere plunges into the mantle below. The slab consists of the sediments on top, crustal rocks in the middle, and the lithospheric mantle on the bottom, all plunging down together as a kind of sandwich. In each of these layers is an ingredient that plays a key role in shaping the evolution of…

1
I Don't Care What Sue Barker Says, I Hate Her! aka The Season 6 Finale Part II 47:36

2y ago47:36

47:36

The Above Average Sports Quiz Thing finish off the season with the second part of the finale! Who's going to take the prize of being Season 6 Champion and win themselves a lovely printed photo of Aaron Collins up a lamppost? Listen to Part II to find out! Many thanks to DAGEM Power Ltd for sponsoring the podcast as always, they're hiring you know? …

1
Get That Phrase Out Of Your Mouth Sue Barker aka The Season 6 Finale Part I 54:40

2y ago54:40

54:40

The Above Average Sports Quiz Thing has hit another season finale already! Yes, it's the end of SEASON 6 so time for another head to head between the team. Tzevai and Will do their best Sue Barker impressions in a Question Of Sport themed finale quiz. Tom's got an epic wheel song to finish the season off (even if the misses the end of it himself!) …

1
Maria McNamara on Seeing the Ancient World in Color 30:38

2y ago30:38

30:38

Popular reconstructions of ancient environments, whether they be in natural history museum dioramas, in movies, or in books, present a world of color. But are those colors just fanciful renderings, perhaps based on the colors we see around us today? Or is there evidence in the fossil record that we can use to determine the actual color of plants an…

1
Ry'n Ni Yma O Hyd aka Tennis Cities 50:14

2y ago50:14

50:14

The Above Average Sports Quiz Thing reaches the penultimate episode of season 6! Will is back but not looking quite as refreshed as you'd expect after a mini holiday! We've got all the usual dedications, feedback and of course, a wheel song and a quiz! How long can Tom wear his Welsh coat? How do you like Tzevai's singing? Has Will got some feedbac…

1
Phil Renforth on Carbon Sequestration 25:24

2y ago25:24

25:24

For many years, efforts to limit climate change have focused on curtailing anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. But it is increasingly clear that such curtailment will not, on its own, be able to prevent the damaging effects of global warming. Therefore, more attention is now directed to mitigating climate change by enhancing the removal or…

1
Alright Bobby? No, I'm Bryan. You're Bobby! aka Sports Illustrated Cover Stars 49:22

2y ago49:22

49:22

The Above Average Sports Quiz Thing ploughs on and we're almost at the end of season 6 already! Will's had an upgrade this week as they take on another shouty (but not so shouty these days) quiz. There's all the usual dedications, feedback and of course, a wheel song and a quiz! Has Tom gone blind? Where are Tzevai's sunglasses? Why is Will looking…

1
Choking On Hundreds & Thousands aka All Time UEFA Champions League Teams 49:10

2+ y ago49:10

49:10

The Above Average Sports Quiz Thing just va-va-vooming through season 6 as they take on another shouty (but not so shouty these days) quiz. There's all the usual dedications, feedback and of course, a wheel song and a quiz! How's Tom's soundcheck this week? Will Tzevai suffer death by cake? Has Will found a new career in advertising? Most important…

1
Volcanic Chicken Balti Pies aka Six Nations Grand Slam Winning XVs 56:31

2+ y ago56:31

56:31

The Above Average Sports Quiz Thing hit half time in season 6 as they take on another shouty (but not so shouty these days) quiz. There's all the usual dedications, feedback and of course, a wheel song and a quiz! Is Tom having an existential crisis? Will Tzevai be able to spell French names? Can Will concentrate on more than one thing at a time? M…

1
Tony Watts on Seamounts and the Strength of the Lithosphere 28:33

2+ y ago28:33

28:33

When plate tectonics was adopted in the 1960s and early '70s, researchers quickly mapped out plate movements. It seemed that plates moved as rigid caps about a pole on the Earth's surface. But since then, a lot of evidence has accumulated suggesting that plates are not, in fact, totally rigid. In fact, we can see them flex in response to stresses t…

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