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!

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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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.

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 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.

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 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 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 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!

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, 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!

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.

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!

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!

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.