Miniseries Episode 5: Asia is the largest continent, and has a lot of ancient rocks to share with the world. Today, we learn how to map a hidden continent using magnets, how copper forms in undersea castles, and how the Himalayas were born.

Miniseries Episode 4: South America has impressive geology, but most of its' ancient rocks are found in just once country. Today, we'll learn about ancient connections between Brazil and Africa, how Pangaea split apart, and how most iron mines got their start.

Miniseries Episode 3:

Africa is a continent with many different nations and rocks. Today, we learn how most of Africa was fused together billions of years ago, and which pockets preserve the best evidence for ancient life (South Africa, Zimbabwe). Along the way, we'll meet the richest human in history, a giant knife made from magma, and a two-billion-year family reunion.

Thank you all for your patience these few months as I've started a new professor position in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Moving and preparing my first classes took all of my time and mental energy, but now I'm at a place where I can make episodes again! I'm excited to continue the story and I hope you are as well.

More details are in the episode but in short:

Oldest Rocks mini-series: 5 weekly episodes starting January 2, 2023.

Topics: Africa, South America, Asia, Europe, North America.

The Main Plot: bi-weekly episodes starting in February 2023,

Topics: Finishing the Hadean 4.5 - 4 billion years ago (January on the Earth Calendar)

The origins of life(!) and Earth's earliest atmosphere

Miniseries Episode 2:

Australia is one of the top destinations for people who love the ancient Earth. Today, we take a brief tour around the three oldest regions in Australia: the Yilgarn Craton near Perth, the Pilbara Craton near Port Hedland, and the Gawler Craton near Adelaide. On the way, we'll meet the oldest minerals, the oldest fossils, and learn the connection between ancient bacteria and modern steel.

Miniseries Episode 1:

The frozen continent holds many secrets, including some of the most ancient stones in the world, the Napier Complex 3.8 billion years old. Today we'll learn what things lurk in the ice, and a harrowing story of polar survival from an Australian geologist, Sir Douglas Mawson.

Our story will take a brief pause while I'm on summer vacation and fieldwork, including rocks more than three billion years old in Western Australia.

But don't worry! In the meantime, there will be a seven-part miniseries on the oldest rocks of each continent. Tune in to find out which are closest to you, or use these as guides for a geology-themed vacation!

After then, we'll return to the Hadean world to investigate the origins of life. Until then, have a pleasant summer, and thank you all for listening!

Website: https://www.bedrockpodcast.com

My guest today is Dr. Joti Rouillard, a research fellow at the University of Science and Technology in Hefei, China. Dr. Rouillard talks about his research on the earliest fossils on Earth, microscopic bacteria 3.5 billion years old. It turns out, identifying a fossil bacteria is extremely difficult since they resemble other tiny non-living objects. We also talk about working in the Australian Outback, kangaroo encounters, and what happens when you mix alcohol and rocks.

Dr. Rouillard's email: [email protected]

When did life arise on planet Earth?

Today, we look at the search for biological remains in the oldest minerals on Earth, the Jack Hills zircons of Western Australia, 4.4-4.0 billion years ago. We learn why carbon is an excellent building block for life, how to turn that carbon into diamonds and graphite, and why it's very hard to find conclusive fossils in very old rocks.

Extra credit: Try to find all the things in your house that have carbon in them. Bonus points if you can find graphite or diamonds.

How do we know when the first oceans existed?

Water leaves its' fingerprints over every surface of Earth, even in the oldest, toughest crystals. Today, we'll take an imaginary ride through the earliest oceans, examine how water slowly transforms everything it touches, and how these changes are recorded in the Jack Hills zircons, 4.4 billion years ago.

Extra Credit: Make an underwater rock garden, walk into a muddy beach, or visit a dog park.