Tune into this captivating guest podcast from our friends at Geology Bites! Join podcaster Oliver Strimpel as he takes curious listeners on a fascinating journey into the world of geoscience with a series of engaging and thought-provoking interviews.

In the latest Geology Bites podcast, Oliver delves into the intriguing “continental crustal composition paradox” with Distinguished Professor Roberta Rudnick from the University of California, Santa Barbara. The paradox arises from the difference between the average composition of continental crust, which resembles intermediate rocks like andesite, and mantle-derived magmas, which are basaltic with less silica and more magnesium and iron. Rudnick was one of the first to identify this discrepancy and shares the measurements and theories that have emerged to explain it. While some theories are more speculative, she believes each plays a role in understanding this geological mystery.

Huang, Y., et al., 2013, A reference Earth model for the heat-producing elements and associated geoneutrino flux: Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, v. 14, no. 6, https://doi.org/10.1002/ggge.20129.

To hear more great geoscience interviews please visit www.geologybites.com.