The Big Blue Rock Pod

Matt, Sarah, and Doug talk with UK Art Museum Curator Rachel Hooper and KGS Public Resources Coordinator Cheyenne Hohman. They discuss a brand-new exhibit at the UK Art Museum called the “Museum of Natural History and Artificial Curiosities.” They get into the origin of the exhibit, UK president John Bowman, scientific collections, The Henry Clay Estate, items on display, hair balls, shark jaws, and much more!

Matt, Sarah, and Doug talk with KGS geologist Bailee Hodlka. They discuss Quaternary limnology, lakes in the Sierra Nevada, aquatic ecology, ostrocodes, environmental geology, tools for investigating stratigraphy of lakes, Lake Metropolis, and much more!

Matt, Sarah, and Doug talk with KGS geologist Chuck Tayor. They discuss karst hydrogeology, karst vs. other aquifer types, tools for groundwater monitoring, the KGS groundwater monitoring network, Burgin, KY., protecting groundwater resources, our favorite karst terrains, and much more!

Matt, Sarah, and Doug talk with Earth and Environmental Sciences Department Senior Lecturer Summer Brown. They discuss earth science education, teaching, how scientists connect to stakeholders, natural hazard anxiety, the NSF EPSCoR-funded project CLIMBS and the Enviropods Program, the future of earth science education, and much more!

Matt, Sarah, and Doug talk with world-renowned applied energy researcher Jim Hower. They discuss the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research, coal petrology, coal research, the Fire Clay coal, sampling coal, sampling coal-fired power plants, fly ash, rare earth elements, and the future of applied energy research.

Matt, Sarah, and Doug speak with former KGS Director and State Geologist Jim Cobb. They talk about James Hutton, New Harmony, Indiana, the job of a State Geologist, the 12th Geological Survey at KGS, digital data dissemination, the legend of Dr. Paul Potter, loving our jobs, and much more!

Jam packed show! Fresh of the Winter Olympics, Matt, Sarah, and Doug discuss the geology of curling stones. Next, back by popular demand (not really), they break down another Norwegian geology disaster film and discuss the 2015 film The Wave. They discuss rockslide-induced tsunamis, challenges of modeling unstable slopes and potential tsunamis, fjords, rockslope monitoring, geologists who are hoarders, and much more!

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50th Episode! Matt, Doug, and Sarah talk to UK Earth & Environmental Sciences Professor Trisha Spanbauer. The discuss lakes, paleolimnology, lake sediment as proxies for global environmental change, ancient environmental DNA, biodiversity, ecological and molecular evolution, Lake Titicaca, promise of a.e.DNA sequencing, algae and art, and much more!

Matt, Doug, and Sarah talk with UK Earth & Environmental Sciences Professor Ed Woolery. The discuss near surface geophysics, shear wave propagation, imaging technique limitations, blind faults, applied geophysics, department chair duties, Ed’s geophysics heroes and much more!

Matt and Sarah talk with KGS geologist and BBRP co-host Doug Curl. They talk about Doug’s unique and fascinating career arc as a geologist, geoinformatics, GIS, geologic maps, compact discs, metadata (everyone’s favorite!), online geologic map services, and much more.

Matt, Sarah, and Doug recap their participation in conferences but most importantly lean into Halloween! They discuss haunted pump jacks, suffering cows, the dark history of the Nada Tunnel, and a creepy story from a special guest about their experience with a time vortex during field work.

Matt, Sarah, and Doug talk with KGS geologist Cortland Eble. They discuss all things coal geology with a world-renowned palynologist, one of few people in the world who grinds up coal and glues in back together! They discuss coal formation, macerals, coke, coal spores and pollen, coal quality and quantity, coal from the Titanic, and much more!

Matt, Doug, and Sarah talk with KGS Director and Ky State Geologist Mike McGlue. They discuss what geologists do, trends in earth science, converging disciplines, exciting research at KGS, and emphasize the application of geology to build resilience for the Commonwealth. Listen up!

Matt, Doug, and Sarah talk about conferences they attended this summer, along with a little travel in between. They discuss the National Speleological Society Convention, Niagara Falls, Jim Thorpe, Archbald Pothole State Park, the Kansas Geological Survey (the other KGS) Field Conference, geology of New York City, The Natural Hazards Center Workshop, geologic hazards, disaster resilience, effective data dissemination, the geology of Iceland and much more!

Geologic time is a fundamental concept at the core of all geology and earth sciences. Since it's the foundation for everything else, we thought it was worth listening to twice. Enjoy this reissued episode of "Geologic Time" from September 2022 (episode 10) with Matt, Sarah, and Doug and special guest KGS geologist and geomorphologist (now SP&M Lab lead) Jason Dortch.

Matt, Doug, and Sarah talk with KGS Geologist Alex Washburn to discuss shales, rare-earth element, critical minerals, calcite, geochronology, petroleum geology, and environmental geology. Also, Doug spills his water.

Sarah, Matt, and Doug talk with KGS Public Resources Curator Cheyenne Hohman about KGS archiving, data dissemination over time, weird publications, maps, science and political winds, which Survey was most productive, and much more!

And check out our oldest publication (to date - from 1794!) in the KGS catalog here: https://kgs.uky.edu/kygeode/services/pubs/pub.htm?id=4385 "Map of the State of Kentucky with the Adjoining Territories"

You can search the entire KGS publication catalog here: https://kgs.uky.edu/kygeode/services/pubs/ 

Matt, Sarah, and Doug talk to UK Art Museum Curator, Rachel Hooper. In this special episode, they go on-site to the museum and discuss with Rachel the materials and subjects that connect art and geology: landscapes, photography, painting (with volcanic materials!) a Mt. Vesuvius eruption, ceramics, clay mineralogy, marble, lithography, and much more.

View referenced art pieces below:

Thomas Melville Chapin, Will in Growth, 1993, Colorado yule marble. Collection of the UK Art Museum, gift of Dr. John W. Hankla.


Follower of Pierre Jacques Volaire, Eruption of Mount Vesuvius, late 18th – early 19th century, oil on canvas. Collection of the UK Art Museum, gift of Drs. Jim and Bonnie Tanner.

Iranian, Storage Jar, late 14th-15th century, ceramic with thin quartz-frit layer, decorated in cobalt blue and alkaline glaze. Collection of the UK Art Museum, gift of Mrs. Alice Heeramaneck.

Sonia Delaunay-Terk, Composition, circa 1972, color lithograph on paper. Collection of the UK Art Museum, gift of Carol Williams in honor of Thomas M. Williams, Jr. (B.A., 1955; M.A., 1963).

Matt, Sarah, and Doug breakdown the 2024 television mini-series La Palma! They discuss the plot of the show, geologic character stereotypes, geologic details right and wrong, the geology of the Canary Islands, general geology movie cheesiness, and much more!

Matt gets philosophical about time management and Sarah gets anxious. Doug's just trying to get through the website redo.

Matt, Sarah, and Doug talk about data with KGSers Cheyenne Hohman and Liz Adams. They dig into KGS history and mission, saving data and maps from threats, progress of storage and dissemination, data curation, data management, metadata (ugh!), UKnowledge, and the future of data storage for KGS.

"I'm a 4.567 billion-year-old planet with a rich history, constantly evolving, and always open to new experiences. You should leave a message if you like cheese and would like to discuss it further..."

This month Matt, Sarah, and Doug discuss it further with UK Earth and Environmental Science professor Dave Moecher. Take a listen to their chat about the age of the Earth, the oldest rocks on earth, meteorites, petro-tectonics, terrane orogens, radiometric dating, zircons, and much more!

This Halloween, step into Kentucky's spooky side with Matt, Sarah, and Doug as they explore eerie place names, reveal the surprising history of Transylvania, and uncover the haunting tale of Floyd Collins – the legendary cave explorer whose fateful journey into the depths became one of the state's most gripping stories.

September is National Bourbon Heritage Month and it's a celebration of bourbon as America's "Native Spirit". Check out one of our favorite episodes, Bourbon and Geology, where we discuss the link between Kentucky geology and all things bourbon. Fun fact, the episode's guest, Mike McGlue, is now the new Director of the Kentucky Geological Survey and the Kentucky State Geologist.

In case you lost your old CD or iTouch, Matt, Sarah, and Doug bring back to life an OLD KyGeocast that is a guided tour of Lexington’s McConnell Springs. McConnell Springs is a city park near downtown Lexington famous for its exposure of karst features such as springs and caves, but also as the founding site of the city.

Matt, Sarah, and Doug talk to KGS geologist Ben Tobin about all things hydrology. They discuss karst hydrogeology, the water cycle, dye tracing, water usage, integrated hydrologic modeling, the National Cave and Karst Research Institute, water data dissemination, student mentoring, climate change, and much more!

Matt, Sarah, and Doug talk about KGS summer activities including the Potter Internship, an Appalachian Karst Hydrogeology Workshop, and participation in the Association of American State Geologists meeting in Utah. They discuss all things state surveys, the first female state geologist, Utah geology, field trips, Snowbird, seismic base isolators, landslides, and much more!

Matt, Sarah, and Doug sit down with KGS carbonate and mineral geologist Gina Lukoczki about carbonate petrology, critical minerals, rare earth elements (REEs), tools to assess REEs, the KY fluorspar district, rotten dikes, renewed interest in KGS core, the KGS Mineral Resources Information Map, and much more!

Matt, Sarah, and Doug discuss all things engineering geology with UK Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences professor Sarah Johnson. They talk about engineering geology expertise, site investigations, geology-engineer jokes, terminology for geologists and engineers, engineering geology training, landslides, and the motivation for more applied geology.

Matt, Sarah, and Doug talk with KGS geologist Marty Parris about hydrocarbon reservoir geochemistry, water and rock interactions, brines, carbon storage, Kentucky’s orphaned oil and gas wells and much more!

Matt, Sarah, and Doug answer questions submitted from listeners, members of the general public, and attendees at the KGS Open House. The trio discusses the Findlay Arch, Kyrock, lack of dinosaur bones in Kentucky, oldest specimen in the KGS lobby, quicksand, world water total, cool places to hike, and more!

Matt, Sarah, and Doug talk about their favorite geology books! Don’t fear, these aren’t the hard-core, in-depth science text books you might think. You will be surprised at what is discussed and hopefully enjoy their take on books that connect to careers, sharing ideas, and a general passion for earth science. 

Matt, Sarah, and Doug talk with KGS geologic mapper Steve Martin about all things natural rock arches! They discuss the difference between arches and natural bridges, arches around the world, evolution of arch formation, fractures, freeze-thaw, arch openings, measuring arch spans, monitoring arch behavior, arches in Kentucky, and much more!

View the KGS map of publicly accessible KY arches.

Matt, Sarah, and Doug discuss all things geochemistry with UK Earth and Environmental Sciences professor Andrea Erhardt. The trio tackles the importance of geochemistry to our understanding earth processes, the atmosphere, and other planets. Dr. Erhardt takes them through a wide-range of topics including geochemical spheres, high and low-temp geochemistry, chemical weathering, paleo climates, mineral precipitation, the dolomite problem, geochemical environments, pH, acid mine drainage, water contamination, eutrophication, and much more!

Matt, Sarah, and Doug are catching up on a busy October at KGS with a conglomerate of topics. There is no guest this month but we summarize the successful KGS Earth Science Open House, KGS’s participation at the Geological Society of America Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, and Matt’s trip to Sri Lanka.

Matt, Sarah, and Doug discuss the philosophy of science with UK professor Julia Bursten. They talk about the foundations of science, purpose of science, theories, truth, epistemology, misinformation, classification in science, philosophy of geology and much more!

Matt, Sarah, and Doug discuss petroleum geology with KGS geologist Dave Harris. They talk about  the basics of hydrocarbons, source rocks vs reservoir rocks, structural traps, oil and gas producing areas in Kentucky, unconventional reservoirs, KGS oil and gas data services, Dave’s retirement and much more!

It's a game of musical chairs on this episode of the BBRP. KGS landslides expert Matt moves into the guest chair, while Doug and newcomer Rebekah co-host the episode. We discuss how Matt started researching landslides, the types and causes of landslides, what landslide research looks like at KGS and nationally, landslides related to the July 2022 eastern Kentucky floods, Matt's bad-fitting suits, crashing drones, and more.

Matt, Sarah, and Doug discuss all things meteorites with KGS geologist and current graduate student Ethan Davis. We get into differences among space rocks, planet evolution, impact craters around the world, Chicxulub mysteries, "meteorwrongs", meteorite composition, meteorites in Kentucky, the newest meteorite found in Kentucky, and much more!

Matt, Doug, and Sarah talk about everything extension with UK Professor Brad Lee, from soil and water quality to dog poop and lawn care. We also explore the role of extension in the University’s land grant mission and UK Extension’s environmental and educational services.   

This week’s top takeaway? Check out the soil tests available from your local county extension office. Find the office online at https://extension.ca.uky.edu/county, or just google it.  

Matt, Sarah, and Doug have a lively discussion about geology jargon, odd and old geoscience concepts, and weird terminology that geologists love to use. KGS geologist Meredith Swallom is the guest and helps us decipher rocks vs. minerals, lithification, unconformities, how awesome (and outdated) graywacke is, accretionary wedges, and much more!

"I'm just gonna to go ahead and say it. I love Cumberland Gap."

Matt, Sarah, and Doug discuss all things Cumberland Gap National Historical Park! KGS geologist William Andrews is our guest and we get into the park history, geologic setting, unique park features, Ridge Trail, rodents in cabins, Pinnacle Overlook, Hensley Settlement, the Tunnel, the first geology field camp, and much more!

Matt, Sarah, and Doug unpack all things science communication! We talk with Dr. Sarah Vos from UK Department of Health Management and Policy and the Director of Undergraduate Research in the College of Public Health. We discuss communication spanning many scientific disciplines, bridging the gap between science and the public, disaster communication, getting your message to stick, building trust, and why it all matters!

About our guest:

Sarah C. Vos, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy and the Director of Undergraduate Research in the College of Public Health at the University of Kentucky. Her research explores how public health organizations can use social media and other short message systems to improve health outcomes, particularly during a public health crisis. Her work has been published in Cancer Control, Health Security, Risk Analysis, and the Journal of Health Communication. In her free time, she likes to run, hike, and watch birds. 

Matt, Sarah, and Doug discuss all things climate science with Dr. Alice Turkington, geography professor at the University of Kentucky. We get into climate terminology, climate change indicators, extreme events, climate change education, and much more!

Dr. Alice Turkington is an associate professor of physical geography with affiliations in environmental and sustainability studies and historic preservation at the University of Kentucky. A native of Northern Ireland, she has lived in Kentucky since 2001. Dr. Turkington holds both an BA and PhD in Geography from Queens University of Belfast. Her doctoral and postdoctoral research examined the breakdown of rock in deserts and conservation of European cultural stone and monuments. She has worked in diverse global landscapes including the Australian outback, volcanic regions of New Zealand, high Arctic glaciers, and the national parks of the Southwestern United States. Her research focuses on geomorphology, examining the control rock weathering exerts on landform and landscape evolution and the role microclimates play in forcing rock decay. Dr. Turkington has taught courses on climate change at the University of Kentucky for 20 years. This year, she will offer a freshman course, Global Climate Change, and several upper division undergraduate courses, including Science and Policy of Climate Change and Rising Seas: Our Changing Coastline.

For our lucky 13th episode and to mark the end of the year, Matt, Sarah, and Doug answer your geology questions! Listen to our answers to your questions on the KGS mission, unique geologic places in Kentucky,  innovation,  social media, oil and gas, and more. We'll be doing this again, so please contact us at kgsmail@uky.edu with your pressing questions about geology. Wishing all of our listeners a great holiday season and a happy New Year!

Matt, Sarah, and Doug discuss earthquakes with KGS geophysicist Seth Carpenter. Tune is as they talk about global and regional activity, mystery of Kentucky’s biggest quake, frog seismometers, and earthquake hazard and risk. And check out our webpage for more information about earthquakes, earthquake hazards, and to view the Kentucky Seismic Network recordings: www.uky.edu/KGS/earthquake/.

Matt, Doug, and Sarah discuss surface hydrology, differentiating natural and engineered lakes, Kentucky watersheds, geology's role in Kentucky lake characteristics, and cool factoids about the Commonwealth's rich surface freshwater resources. And poke a little fun at a few of our border states (who we love). Photo is from Grayson Lake in eastern Kentucky (by Doug Curl).

Matt, Sarah, and Doug discuss all things geologic time with KGS geologist and geomorphologist Jason Dortch (a lover of geologic time and our first repeat guest!) including the abstract concept itself, the geologic time scale, deep time, love/hate with the Anthropocene, geologic hazards and resiliency, and much more!

Our guest is Bill Haneberg, State Geologist of Kentucky and Director here at the Kentucky Geological Survey. Listen as we talk about all things geological surveys, where they fit into the geologic community, KGS accomplishments, Bill's background, current research, and his billiards game.

In this episode, we talk with Kent Anness, Director of the Kentucky Division of Geographic Information, about the wealth of cutting-edge spatial data, like aerial photography and lidar, available in Kentucky. We discuss uses and analysis that go well beyond geology, including disaster planning, emergency 911 location, business siting, and transportation planning.

The Big Blue Rock Pod hosts talk with Steve Greb, KGS geologist and resident paleontology expert, about fossils, fossil preservation, paleontology’s role in other geologic theories and disciplines, shark jaws, and Matt’s love of stromatoporoids. Does Sarah mention caves and karst? Tune in to find out!

Listen to Matt, Sarah, and Doug talk with geologists and spirits enthusiasts, Mike McGlue (University of Kentucky Earth and Environmental Sciences) and John Hickman (KGS) about the link between Kentucky geology and all things bourbon. They discuss bourbon basics, rock type and groundwater influence on bourbon production, bourbon myths, that shady guy Elijah Craig, the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits at UK, and favorite bourbons!

Mammoth Cave is the longest cave system in the world and it's right here in Kentucky. Listen in as we talk with our co-host Sarah Arpin about all things Mammoth Cave including the fascinating geology, hydrology, and culture that make this cave system unique and world-renowned.

The Big Blue RockPod discusses the complexity and intrigue of southern Appalachian geology, covering everything from physiography, tectonics, mountain building, age, cool rocks…just don’t say the "T" word! What's the "T" word? Listen to our conversation with University of Kentucky professor Dr. Ryan Thigpen (Earth and Environmental Studies, Structure and Geodynamics Group) to find out!

In this episode, we talk with Jason Dortch, a geologist and geomorphologist here at KGS, about glaciers and glacial processes. While continental-scale glaciers did not cover all of Kentucky, they caused major impacts to the landscape in northern Kentucky and the greater Cincinnati area and beyond. Listen to our conversation with Jason and learn about all things glaciers (and glacier adjacent activity) in Kentucky (or as much as we can fit in under an hour)!

Listen in as we talk with Matt Massey, a KGS field geologist and rock climber, about the geology of the Red River Gorge in eastern Kentucky. There’s a unique intersection between fascinating geology, spectacular landscape, and culture that makes "The Red" world famous.

Welcome to the Big Blue RockPod, sponsored by the Kentucky Geological Survey, at the University of Kentucky. This podcast is a fun, conversational approach to discussing all things geology and earth processes, primarily focused on Kentucky. We talk about the past, present, and exciting future of earth science for all levels of interest.