Don't Panic Geocast

John Leeman and Shannon Dulin
Don't Panic Geocast

John Leeman and Shannon Dulin discuss geoscience and technology weekly for your enjoyment! Features include guests, fun paper Friday selections, product reviews, and banter about recent developments. Shannon is a field geologist who tolerates technology and John is a self-proclaimed nerd that tolerates geologists.

  1. APR 4

    Episode 413 - "Waterfalls I Have Loved"

    Turner Falls, Oklahoma A rare waterfall that grows outward due to travertine deposition instead of eroding backward. Formed by spring-fed Honey Creek flowing through Ordovician limestone, creating massive travertine deposits. Pe'ePe'e Falls, Hawai'i (Big Island) ~80 ft falls in downtown Hilo, part of the Wailuku River flowing between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Carved into 10,000-year-old lava flows with subsequent flows creating the Boiling Pots — vertical and horizontal lava tubes. Extremely dangerous, especially after storms — known as the deadliest water in Hawai'i. Cataratas do Iguaçu, Brazil/Argentina Largest waterfall system in the world, spanning the Argentina-Brazil border. Name means "Big Water" in Guarani. Upstream from the Itaipu Dam, which generates most of Paraguay’s electricity. Itaipu — the 3rd largest hydroelectric plant globally and 2nd in power output. Bonus Waterfalls Mentioned: Cascata delle Marmore, Italy – Ancient Roman-engineered waterfall. Natural Falls - West Siloam Springs, OK Devil’s Kettle, Minnesota – Mysterious waterfall where water seems to disappear underground. Fun Paper Friday What can spacecraft learn from cats? Zhang, Li, et al. "Analysis of Cushioned Landing Strategies of Cats Based on Posture Estimation." Biomimetics 9.11 (2024): 691. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeocast@gmail.com John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

    58 min
  2. FEB 14

    Episode 411 - "TSA Does Not Care About Your Data "

    Ever wondered how geologists figure out when a landslide happened? Or how ancient river terraces and glacial deposits get dated? This week, we dive into the detective work behind dating geomorphic features! 🌍🔬 From tree rings to cosmic rays, we explore the fascinating methods geologists use to reconstruct Earth’s history and assess natural hazards. Why Dating Landslides and Other Features is Hard Landslides can reactivate multiple times, fluvial deposits get reworked, and glacial features have complex histories. What are we really dating—the event, the material, or the last exposure? Dating Techniques in Geology Dendrochronology 🌲 – Tree rings reveal landslides, floods, and debris flows. Radiocarbon Dating 💀 – Organic material like charcoal and buried soil horizons provide time markers. Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) 🌞 – Measures when quartz grains were last exposed to sunlight. Cosmogenic Nuclide Dating ☄️ – Tracks surface exposure using cosmic rays. Other Methods – Lichen growth, volcanic ash layers, and earthquake trenching. Fun Paper Friday Ever wondered if your favorite neon-orange snack has hidden superpowers? This study explores how strongly absorbing molecules, like those found in food dyes, can reduce light scattering in biological tissues—making them temporarily more transparent! Researchers applied tartrazine (a common food coloring) to live mice and were able to see internal structures like blood vessels without invasive procedures. The discovery could improve biomedical imaging, but we’re mostly just fascinated that Dorito dust might have unexpected side effects! Ou, Zihao, et al. "Achieving optical transparency in live animals with absorbing molecules." Science 385.6713 (2024): eadm6869. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeocast@gmail.com John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

    45 min
4.9
out of 5
45 Ratings

About

John Leeman and Shannon Dulin discuss geoscience and technology weekly for your enjoyment! Features include guests, fun paper Friday selections, product reviews, and banter about recent developments. Shannon is a field geologist who tolerates technology and John is a self-proclaimed nerd that tolerates geologists.

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