Don't Panic Geocast

The discussion kicks off with the challenges of accurate snow forecasting, sharing personal stories from unexpected winter storms. They dive into the complexities of snow-to-rain ratios, debunking the old 10 to 1 rule with some entertaining tales. Shifting gears, they explore how different times of day impact mental health, revealing fascinating research on happiness and productivity. Finally, surprising trends in emotional well-being based on the week’s rhythm keep the conversation lively as they invite listeners to share their own experiences.

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

We just wrapped up our first-ever on-site GEARS Workshop at UTEP and it was a massive success! 🎉 Tune in as we break down the highlights, what we learned, and how this hands-on geoscience training is evolving for the future. Fun Paper Friday Can paranormal lights actually be tied to earthquakes? Hough, Susan E. "Haunted Summerville: Ghostly Lights or Earthquake Lights?." Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeocast@gmail.com John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

This week, it's time for our 2025 resolutions show, where we see how we can improve this year and discuss everything that's changed in the past year! Fun Paper Friday We are all overloaded with surveys and requests, but can a chocolate bar increase the response rates? Jamtvedt, Gro, et al. "Chocolate bar as an incentive did not increase response rate among physiotherapists: a randomised controlled trial." BMC research notes 1 (2008): 1-4. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeocast@gmail.com John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

This week we wrap up our finding faults show started oh so long ago! Learn how to identify faults in the field and then relax with a coffee with a physicist! A perfectly spherical coffee on a frictionless plane that is! Fun Paper Friday Bossart, Aleksi, Romain Fleury, and Benjamin Apffel. "Science of a coffee cup: a physicist walks into a bar..." arXiv preprint arXiv:2501.01180 (2025). Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeocast@gmail.com John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Joshua Pearce to the show! We dive into the world of open-source hardware for academic labs, the challenges and rewards of open-sourcing projects, and the exciting opportunities it creates for researchers and the general public alike. Tune in for a fascinating discussion about innovation, making, and the future of accessible technology! Joshua Pearce Open-Source Lab: How to Build Your Own Hardware and Reduce Research Costs Create, Share, and Save Money Using Open-Source Projects To Catch the Sun: Inspiring stories of communities coming together to harness their own solar energy, and how you can do it too! Feeding Everyone No Matter What: Managing Food Security After Global Catastrophe @ProfPearce Fun Paper Friday This Study Was Hailed as a Win for Science Reform. Now It’s Being Retracted. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeocast@gmail.com John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

Shannon went to AGU and we're updated on the meeting and what cool new science things she saw! Fun Paper Friday He, Yu, et al. "Superionic iron alloys and their seismic velocities in Earth’s inner core." Nature 602.7896 (2022): 258-262. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeocast@gmail.com John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

Faults are fractures in the Earth's crust where movement has occurred, creating features that are critical to understanding geological processes. In this episode, we explore how to recognize fault zones in the field, examine their widths at different depths, and analyze the breakage patterns and deformation features that define them. Definition of faults and why they matter in geological studies: USGS - Earthquake Glossary Importance of identifying faults for earthquake research and infrastructure planning: Seismic Hazard and Risk - IRIS Indicators such as fault scarps, offset layers, and linear valleys: Geology.com - Recognizing Faults Explanation of slickensides and fault breccia: Fault Surface Features - ScienceDirect How vegetation and water accumulation signal fault traces: Hydrology and Fault Zones - Nature Observing stratigraphic offsets and deformation in rock layers: Structural Geology Basics - USGS Characteristics of shattered rock zones and mylonites: Mylonites in Fault Zones - Geological Society Narrow zones in brittle rocks vs. wider zones in thrust faults: Fault Zone Width Variability - ResearchGate Examples of strike-slip vs. thrust faults: Geological Features of Faults - Springer Discussion of fault core and damage zone broadening: Deep Fault Zones - ScienceDirect How depth impacts fault geometry: Fault Depth Behavior - Wiley Online Fault breccia and gouge as indicators of brittle behavior: Fault Breccia Properties - GeoscienceWorld Hazards like landslides and slope instability: Fault Zone Hazards - USGS Fun Paper Friday Are those Christmas puddings good for you? Wallach, Joshua D., et al. "Association of health benefits and harms of Christmas dessert ingredients in recipes from The Great British Bake Off: umbrella review of umbrella reviews of meta-analyses of observational studies." bmj 383 (2023). ## Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeocast@gmail.com John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

Lithium, often called "white gold," is a critical resource powering modern technologies like electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy storage, and more. This week, we explore lithium's geological formation, mining, processing, and its growing importance in the energy revolution. We also dive into exciting developments in Arkansas, which could make the U.S. a major player in domestic lithium production. Learn More: Pegmatite Geology - USGS Lithium in Clays - Nature Lithium Triangle Overview - Mining Technology Hard Rock Lithium Mining - Geology.com Lithium Extraction from Pegmatites - Minerals Education Coalition Brine Extraction Methods - International Energy Agency Clay-Based Lithium Extraction - ScienceDirect Lithium in Batteries - Energy Storage Journal Environmental Impacts of Lithium Mining - Earthworks Arkansas Lithium Resources - USGS Direct Lithium Extraction Explained - Mining Journal Arkansas Mining Projects - Reuters Fun Paper Friday Can geomagnetic storms change flight characteristics and drag on satellites? This week we find out. Parker, William E., and Richard Linares. "Satellite Drag Analysis During the May 2024 Geomagnetic Storm." arXiv preprint arXiv:2406.08617 (2024). Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeocast@gmail.com John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin

Gold has been a symbol of wealth, beauty, and power for millennia, but its importance extends far beyond jewelry and currency. From its formation deep in the Earth’s crust to its critical uses in electronics, medicine, and aerospace, this episode explores the fascinating journey of gold and why it continues to captivate us today. Learn More: Gold - Royal Society of Chemistry Gold's Physical and Chemical Properties - Geology.com: Gold Formation - USGS Orogenic Gold Deposits - Earth Science Reviews Gold Mining Methods - World Gold Council Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASM) - UNEP Applications of Gold - Royal Society of Chemistry Gold in Medicine - The Lancet Environmental Impacts of Gold Mining - Earthworks Fun Paper Friday Can pee be used to 3D print homes on the moon? Pilehvar, Shima, et al. "Utilization of urea as an accessible superplasticizer on the moon for lunar geopolymer mixtures." Journal of Cleaner Production 247 (2020): 119177. Contact us: Show Support us on Patreon! www.dontpanicgeocast.com @dontpanicgeo dontpanicgeocast@gmail.com John Leeman www.johnrleeman.com @geo_leeman Shannon Dulin @ShannonDulin