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PODCAST

The Big Blue Rock Pod

Kentucky Geological Survey

Welcome to the Big Blue Rock Pod, produced 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. We primarily focus on Kentucky. We talk emerging ideas in research, along with classic topics in earth science for all levels of interest.

science earth sciences

All Episodes

57:12

Ep. 58: From the Archive – Remembering Dr. Bill...

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2026/10/01

It is with heavy hearts that we share the sad news of the sudden passing of Dr. William (Bill) Haneberg, former Kentucky state geologist and director of the 13th Kentucky Geological Survey (2016–2023).Bill brought together experts from multiple academic disciplines to address complex geological problems. He placed a strong emphasis on engaging societal stakeholders and translating scientific information about hazards and risks into knowledge that could be understood and used by the people and

en

53:24

Ep. 57: Museum of Natural History and Artificial...

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2026/08/31

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!

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44:13

Ep. 56: Digging the Lake Core Life

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2026/07/30

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!

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49:18

Ep. 55: Water, water everywhere, And every problem...

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2026/06/30

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!

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43:20

Ep. 54: The Enviropod Pod: Teaching Earth Science in...

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2026/05/27

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!

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49:44

Ep. 53: From Seam to Ash: A Career in Coal

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2026/04/29

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.

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44:14

Ep. 52: New Harmonizing with Dr. Cobb

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2026/03/31

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!

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52:54

Ep. 51: Friction and Fjords: Curling Stones and The Wave

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2026/02/27

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!Please hit the Like and Subscribe buttons to stay up to date on future episodes,

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41:32

Ep. 50: Lakes, Diatoms, and DNA: Will You Be My...

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2026/02/06

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!

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59:24

Ep. 49: Seeing what you can't see with geophysics

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2025/12/29

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!

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47:17

Dig Doug: KGS Digital Mapping and a Unique Career Arc

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2025/11/27

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.

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33:32

News and Boos

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2025/10/30

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.

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44:34

The Coal Whisperer

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2025/09/30

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!

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31:44

Ep. 45: Building resilience from the ground up with...

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2025/08/27

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!

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46:29

Ep. 44: Out of Office Messages

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2025/07/31

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!

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53:05

Ep. 43: Same Geologic Time, New Listen

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2025/06/27

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.

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41:31

Ep. 42: Shale, yeah!

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2025/05/30

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.

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55:42

Ep. 41: Someone to Organize Our Schist

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2025/04/30

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:

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01:01:25

Ep. 40: Geology in the Gallery (view description for...

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2025/03/31

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

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48:31

Mystery Science Geology 2025: Netflix's La Palma

The Big Blue Rock Pod ·

2025/02/28

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!

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58 results

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