Under Our Feet

Under Our Feet is supported by listeners on Patreon (Patreon.com/RudyMolinek). With subscriptions of $15 a month or more, supporters get to choose a geology topic of their choice for a mini-episode! First up, Georgia Ringle's request for an episode on the geology of kitchen countertops. Featuring Nick Roberts, a structural geologist at Hamilton College.   Music is the song Arizona Moon, by the Blue Dot Sessions.

Wisconsin's geologic history begins more than 2.8 billion years ago, and continues today. Join us as we explore through deep time and discover the ways geologic events and forces shape our everyday lives in the Badger State. Learn more about the show at www.uofpod.org.    Music for this episode is the song Arizona Moon, by the Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

In this first episode, we talk to Marcia Bjornerud about the Penokean Orogeny - the first mountain-building event that helped put together what we now call Wisconsin. This is also the story of intense iron mining, booms and busts, and much more as we delve into the deep history of the Badger State.   Music is the song Arizona Moon, by the Blue Dot Sessions.

In episode two of the geology of Wisconsin, we talk to Gordon Medaris and Esther Stewart about the geology of the Baraboo area (including Devil's Lake State Park). These rocks started their life about 1.6 billion years ago and sandy beaches on gentle shores, but today are known for their surprising sheer cliffs in central Wisconsin. How'd we get from here to there? For more, visit www.uofpod.org.   Music in this episode is the song Arizona Moon by the Blue Dot Sessions.

Episode 3 brings us to a billion years ago, when the North American continent tried to split in two. This rift failed, but left behind a legacy of scenic beauty, strange rocks, and vast quantities of copper. Featuring Jeremy Randolph-Flagg and Jim Miller. More at UOFpod.org. Support the show at Patreon.com/RudyMolinek Music is the song Arizona Moon by the Blue Dot Sessions.

Episode 4 takes us to the age of ancient life in Wisconsin - the Paleozoic era. We find out how the sedimentary rocks deposited over 300 million years ago shape the landscape of eastern Wisconsin. More at uofpod.org.    Support the show at patreon.com/RudyMolinek.   Music is the song Arizona Moon, by the Blue Dot Sessions.

This fifth episode breaks our chronologic streak, and deals with some breaking news: A proposed moratorium on new mining near the Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota. What is the history and science behind this mining, and why are people worried about the risks? Plus, we hear from Frank Bibeau about wild rice and its unique place in Lake Superior indigenous cultures. This is one you won't want to miss. More at www.uofpod.org, where you can find contact info and a link to support the show on Patreon. Any support received in November or December, 2021 will be split between Under Our Feet and Honor the Earth (honorearth.org)   Music in this episode is the song Arizona Moon, by the Blue Dot Sessions.

This bonus episode brings you the full interview from Frank Bibeau, who was an important part of episode 5. If you haven't listened to that yet, go back and listen there first. Here, we talk about wild rice (manoomin), water, mining, pipelines, indigenous resistance, and much more. Visit HonorEarth.org for more information on his work. More on Under Our Feet at UOFpod.org. Music in this episode is the song Arizona Moon by the Blue Dot Sessions.

Episode 6 goes literally "Under Our Feet" to explore the caves of southwestern Wisconsin. Why are there caves here? And what secrets of Earth's past do these subterranean spaces hold? We hear from Jan Okeson (Cave of the Mounds) and Cameron Batchelor (University of Wisconsin Geosciences) about education and research that takes place underground.   More at www.uofpod.org. Support the show at patreon.com/RudyMolinek.   Music is the song Arizona Moon by the Blue Dot Sessions.

Ever wondered why Wisconsin is the "Badger" state? Or why Bucky is the University of Wisconsin mascot? Well, the answer is in the rocks. We go deep into the history and geology of lead mining the southwest part of the state to find out!   More at UOFpod.org. Follow us on Twitter @UOFpod. Support the show at patreon.com/RudyMolinek

Episode 8 explores how ice shaped the landscape of Wisconsin, and how that landscape gives us clues about past and future climate. Featuring interviews with Luke Zoet and Libby Ives. More at uofpod.org. Support the show at patreon.com/RudyMolinek

The final full episode of our first season delves into the unique "Driftless" area: the one part of Wisconsin that was never glaciated. Curt Meine and Eric Carson provide insights on the geology, history, and culture of the region.  Support the show at patreon.com/RudyMolinek or find more info at uofpod.org.  Music is the song Arizona Moon, by the Blue Dot Sessions.

The first of Season 1's bonus episodes takes us to Wisconsin's shores of Lake Michigan, to learn about how storms and lake-level changes erode and move sediment. Chelsea Volpano takes us inside her research on beaches and bluffs, drones and remote controlled boats, and the computer models that put it all together.   Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/RudyMolinek   The music in this episode is the song Arizona Moon, by the Blue Dot Sessions.

Originally published in Agate Magazine (agatemag.com), Rudy reads his essay "Of Icicles and Ice Sheets." Music is the song Arizona Moon, by the Blue Dot Sessions. Support the show by subscribing on Patreon: patreon.com/RudyMolinek

The third bonus episode for season 1 takes us to one of Wisconsin's most beloved natural feature: Our lakes! UW-Madison limnologist Hilary Dugan takes us inside and around these freshwater inland bodies that shape the experience of the state.   More info and links to support the show on Patreon at UOFpod.org. Music is the song Arizona Moon, by the Blue Dot Sessions.

In this season 1 bonus episode, Rudy talks to Eric Booth (a scientist) and Caroline Gottschalk Druschke (a professor of English) about their boundary-busting collaboration on flooding in Wisconsin's Driftless area. For more, and to support the show on Patreon, check out our website at UOFpod.org.   The music in this episode is the song Arizona Moon, by the Blue Dot Sessions.

In this episode, Jeff Grignon takes us through stories from the Menominee Nation, showing how the rocks and geology we've learned about all season fit into the traditions of a group that has been living on Wisconsin's landscape since the beginning.    For more from Jeff, check out this podcast from Edge Effects, and this essay cowritten with Robin Wall Kimmerer. https://edgeeffects.net/jeff-grignon/ https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.7208/9780226444970-010/pdf   Music in this episode is the song Arizona Moon, by the Blue Dot Sessions.

Get ready for Season 2 of Under Our Feet! Perhaps the way we are most intimately connected to the Earth system is through the water we drink. Turning on the tap is something many of us can take for granted, but groundwater's interaction with the environment has the potential to expose us to things we don't want to drink. This season we go deep into the story of PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals", exploring how the water that comes out of our faucets connects us to the rocks beneath our feet, and how it's much more than just H2O. Music for this episode from the Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

The debut of Season 2 on PFAS "forever" chemicals and groundwater! This episode explores the history of PFAS development, their basic chemistry, and what they do once they get in our bodies - they're found in 98% of Americans blood!    Learn more on our website: www.uofpod.org. Music in this episode is by the Blue Dot Sessions (https://sessions.blue/). Under Our Feet is a production of Meandering Media.

This is a re-release of the first episode of Season 2! New full episodes start October 19th!   The debut of Season 2 on PFAS "forever" chemicals and groundwater! This episode explores the history of PFAS development, their basic chemistry, and what they do once they get in our bodies - they're found in 98% of Americans blood!    Learn more on our website: www.uofpod.org. Music in this episode is by the Blue Dot Sessions (https://sessions.blue/). Under Our Feet is a production of Meandering Media.