Earth News Interviews

In this episode of Earth News Interviews, we speak with grad student Erkan Gun and professor Russ Pysklywec about the mechanisms that drive continental movements! Note: This interview was recorded back June 2021. Primary source discussed: Pre-collisional extension of microcontinental terranes by a subduction pulley

Happy International Women's Day! In this special episode of ENI, we have a roundtable style discussion on the topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the Earth Sciences. Joining Kathryn in this episode, we have Assistant Professor Tasca Santimano and PhD students Sophia Zamaria and David Aceituno-Caicedo.   Primary readings discussed: - Gender representation cues labels of hard and soft sciences - No progress on diversity in 40 years

In this episode of ENI, we talk to the University of Toronto's new assistant professor, Andrei Swidinski about how mineral exploration is done using geophysics - magnetotellurics and passive seismic!   Primary readings discussed: Application of deep-penetrating geophysical methods to mineral exploration: Examples from Western Australia

Welcome back to a new year of Earth News Interviews!   In this episode, Dean, Winnie, Kathryn, and Tina each discuss their favorite earth sciences paper from 2021. Primary reading discussed: - Using phylogenies to detect a major extinction event in the Oligocene of Africa - Clues from soured milk reveal how gold veins form - Diversity, equity, and inclusion: Tackling under-representation and recognition of talents in geochemistry and cosmochemistry - Accidental synthesis of a previously unknown quasicrystal in the first atomic bomb test Dan Gregory's episode

In this episode, we interview Andrew Parmenter, a geologist working for the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), a not-for-profit organization tasked with the safe, long-term storage of Canada's used nuclear fuel in a manner that protects people and the environment for generations to come. Nuclear waste is a reality our generation has been tasked with storing in a safe way after being passed on from previous generations. We touch upon the key features of long-term nuclear waste repositories, building strong relationships with local Indigenous communities, and what the role of a geologist is in a project of this scale and importance. 

We typically expect physical phenomena to follow certain rules: an apple falls from a tree under the influence of gravity, a skater will eventually slow down from the friction between their skates and the ice, a star spins in a similar direction as the planets in its solar system... Here's the interesting bit, the last one doesn't always hold true. In fact, astrophysicists theorized that there are solar systems in outer space that don't follow this rule. And in 2019, scientists measured this counterintuitive phenomenon in a solar system almost 900 light-years away called K2-290. Their findings were published earlier this year and we got a chance to interview one of the co-authors of this paper, Dr J. J Zanazzi from the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Toronto covering topics like the formation of protoplanetary disks, the effect of neighbouring stars and what we know about planet formation.    Primary readings discussed:  https://www.pnas.org/content/118/8/e2017418118

Many Earth Sciences Departments have been recording low enrollment numbers for the last decade. This field has been known to ride the industry wave; high enrollment when the oil, petroleum, and mineral resource industry is booming, low when it's not. This time, the ebb and flow of markets aren't the cause. General public mistrust of the industry, lack of diversity, and reliance on courses that no longer seem to fit with modern problems are just a few reasons Assistant Professor Erik Klemetti, a volcanologist and science communicator at Denison University cites in his Discover Magazine article on Geoscience Education. We interview him about how the field of Earth Sciences has changed since the Bronze Age and how important it will be for preventing current and potential future environmental catastrophes.    Primary readings discussed: https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/geology-is-at-a-crossroads

The first exoplanet was discovered in 1992 by Aleksander Wolszczan and Dale Frail. Less than 30 years after this initial discovery that won the Nobel Prize in Physics, more than 4000 exoplanets have been confirmed (NASA). These planets, while unique, have some similarities in mass and size, and potentially other features, to Earth. While we aren't able to take a sample from the surface of these planets, that doesn't mean we're limited to simply guessing at their composition. Associate Professor of Physics and Astrophysics at the University of Toronto Scarborough, Dr. Diana Valencia walks us through how we can infer the composition of rocky planets without actually having sampled the planet's surface. This research is laying the groundwork for more in-depth studies on processes that have shaped exoplanets, how they may be similar to Earth's, and whether similar planetary evolution implies finding extraterrestrial life.  Primary readings discussed: https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-abstract/499/1/932/5899063

With natural disasters become more frequent and damaging, how can we accurately access who's at risk without updated information and predictions? The answer is we can't. That's why accurate risk and hazard mapping is essential for both private homeowners and all levels of government that have a public responsibility to mitigate the adverse after-effects of disasters. In this episode we talk to Professor Joseph Desloges of the Geography and Planning Department at the University of Toronto. He specializes in the influence of rivers, glaciers and humans on landform development, and has a particular interest in flood risk mapping. We discuss topics like accurate risk assessment, geoengineering solutions to floods, and what have been the key human-driven changes that have left our cities exposed to flood-related damages.    Primary reading dicussed:  https://www.sciencenews.org/article/how-to-protect-your-home-from-disasters-climate-change      

Imagine if you lived in a world where some humans evolved the ability to fly, use one hundred percent of their brainpower, or the ability to reproduce at twice the normal rate. These evolved humans would certainly have an evolutionary advantage over the rest of us, and likely outcompete us in the long-term. What if a similar situation happened around 541 million years ago? Around this time, in the late Neoproterozoic, the Ediacaran biota, mostly filter-feeding and immobile organisms, faced the threat of extinction from their more agile, burrowing, and mobile competitors that evolved during the late Ediacaran and early Cambrian. A mass extinction ensued, but the definite causes are still being debated. We talk to Associate Professor Marc Laflamme, an expert on Paleoclimate and Paleontology about this fascinating time period.  Primary Sources Discussed:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012825220304815

For this special New Year's episode, Dean and Sofia trade news stories about new discoveries in the Earth Sciences. The discoveries include the finding of the world's oldest crater, a prehistoric tsunami, and the best way to regrow forests. We finally talk about how we started our podcast,  and thank the people who have given us invaluable feedback and made it all possible! Here's to 2021 and a brand new year of science and discoveries!

Compared to other foundational scientific breakthroughs like Mendeleev's periodic table, Einstein's relativity, and Watson Crick and Franklin's double helix DNA model, the discovery of plate tectonics is the youngest and one of the most influential in the Earth Sciences. Since the 1960's geoscientists have been building upon John Tuzo Wilson's groundbreaking plate tectonic theory including Dr. Oguz Gogus who is a professor of geophysics from Istanbul's Technical University. We discuss the continental drip theory, which explains why the geologically active region of Central Anatolia has been uplifted over a very short period of geologic time. 

What happens when the Canadian government tries to simultaneously decrease fossil fuel demand at the same time as giving subsidies to big oil producers? In this episode, we talk to Professor Miriam Diamond, a contaminant scientist and prolific advocate for climate change action. We discuss the carbon and plastic lock-in problem, and how divergent and contradictory policies have thrown a wrench in our plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Primary Sources Discussed: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2020/10/13/are-we-locked-into-a-plastic-future.html

We're used to thinking of geologic phenomena as events that take millions of years. Think mountain building, subduction, or even the rock and carbon cycles. In this episode, we talk with Assistant Professor Xu Chu about a new discovery in metamorphic petrology: ultra-fast fluid-rock interactions and what they mean for earth system processes through geologic time.    Primary Readings Discussed:  Instantaneous rock transformations in the deep crust driven by reactive fluid flow

In this special episode of Earth News Interviews, we host six guests in a round table discussion about field courses and their place in geoscience programs. Should they be required for a degree? What are some new methods in teaching the material traditionally learned in the field? How can we ensure people aren't excluded from both the opportunities field courses provide and from a career in the earth sciences? Primary readings discussed:  1. https://sisterstem.org/2020/07/22/its-time-to-change-the-geosciences-field-requirements/?fbclid=IwAR3URrwD0wmo6_1nFL7ITE4jD059ZL5aZ8u6tp3l11dlpHFhT6ZaGbn-Y78 2. https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/geology-everyone-making-field-accessible

In this episode, we discuss original University of Toronto research on Earth's microfibre pollution problem. What are microfibres? Where do they come from? What can we do to help turn the tide? All of this and more with U of T's own PhD. Candidate, Samantha Athey!   Primary Readings Discussed: Your Beloved Blue Jeans Are Polluting the Ocean—Big Time

It's often inconceivable that we can have such a big impact on the environment around us, but nonetheless, humanity has molded the planet to meet its needs. This molding came with its own unintended consequences: Fracking induced seismicity is the crust responding to oil and natural gas exploitation by releasing energy. Even though most of these energy releases are small, some of them are registered as fairly large earthquakes that have the potential to cause infrastructure damage. We talk to induced seismicity expert Dr. Semechah Lui to find out more about the causes and risks of fracking induced seismicity. 

Removing excess carbon in the atmosphere generated from human industrial activity is one of the most relevant geoengineering feats of this century. But what if we told you the oceans and coastal areas have been doing this naturally for billions of years? In this episode, we sat down with PhD candidate Elizabeth Phillips to talk about speeding up the rate of carbon removal in the ocean. We discuss possible dangers to ecosystems, global challenges and social responsibility.  Primary reading discussed:  https://theconversation.com/can-we-tweak-marine-chemistry-to-help-stave-off-climate-change-93174?fbclid=IwAR1pXA2-W6hNmz3vILtwH8S7TybDRGc7kdcfzy56_K96YUpXgy5OP84OzcM  

Volcanoes have captured the imagination and intrigue of the human civilization because of their unpredictable and destructive nature. Today, hundreds of volcanoes are being monitored for potential warning signs that precede an eruption including gas emissions, seismic tremors and ground deformation. We sit down with volcanologist Paul Ashwell to ask how the monitoring of  volcanoes has improved over the last half century and what challenges still lie ahead.    Primary reading discussed:  Forecasting Volcanic Eruptions

In this episode, we discuss both the engineering and socio-political problem that nuclear waste storage has posed since the 1940's. Dealing with tonnes of radioactive waste that needs to be safely stored for hundreds of thousands of years is no easy feat, and as such it has been passed off to every new generation of scientists and engineers. Dr. Donald Davis has worked with radioactive elements in more ways than one in the Jack Satterly Geochronology Laboratory at the University of Toronto. We ask him about his research for the Nuclear Waste Management Organization and what it will take to pave the way for for a cleaner, carbon-free energy industry.    Primary Readings Discussed:  Long term nuclear waste storage solutions Governing nuclear waste

In this episode of Earth News Interviews, we discuss the events which added oxygen to our oceans and atmosphere. We get into the importance of oxygen for life, the stability of Earth's systems, and even the search for other planetary life.   Primary readings discussed: Breathing new life into the rise of oxygen debate

In this episode of Earth News Interviews, we discuss scientific journals. What kinds of scientific papers get produced and what kinds of journals accept them? How might review journals be of use to aspiring undergrad and grad students? What is it like to have your work peer reviewed or be the reviewer? Primary readings discussed: Types of journal articles

In the episode of Earth News Interviews, we discuss the current COVID-19 pandemic and the surprising links between pathogens and the earth sciences. How can earth scientists contribute to the study of new outbreaks? Is there a link to climate change? How does land development and deforestation lead to disease? Tune in to learn all of this and more!   Primary readings discussed: The Role of Earth and Space Scientists During Pandemics The Worrisome Link Between Deforestation And Disease

In this episode of Earth News Interviews, we learn about some of the ways gold can get collected in nature via chloride or bi-sulfide complexes. We also talk about the challenges of understanding these processes through modelling, and the extraction of gold in an environmentally and socially conscious way.   Primary readings discussed: Resolving the ‘Invisible Gold' Puzzle

In this episode of Earth News Interviews, we discuss the surprising range of health and environmental consequences of small-scale mining operations in Peru. How does mercury affect human health? How does it get from a small mining operation to the bloodstream of people hundreds of kilometres away? Is there anything we can do?   Primary readings discussed: Gold mining with mercury poses health threats for miles downstream

In this episode we discuss the field of Economic Geology with Dr. Melissa Anderson. We touch on many timely questions concerning the role of this field in the next century: What have we learned from its history? What are the new frontiers of mining in practice and research? Why is mining so integral in our societies and our transition to a low-carbon future? Primary readings discussed: The Future of Economic Geology Mineral Resources and Sustainability: Challenges for Earth Scientists Sustainable supply of minerals and metals key to a low-carbon energy future

In our inaugural episode of Earth News Interviews, we get into a discussion about the K-Pg extinction event with geophysicist and extinction aficionado, Dr. Charly Bank. We learn about the discovery of a flood layer in North Dakota which may have been deposited in the first hours after impact, and find out what it can tell us about that fateful day. Primary readings discussed: Astonishment, skepticism greet fossils claimed to record dinosaur-killing asteroid impact The Day the Dinosaurs Died