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 this episode, structural geologist Folarin Kolawole discusses how plate tectonics and intraplate stresses shape the interior of continents, focusing on Africa. He explains why intraplate earthquakes occur far from plate boundaries, how ancient rift zones and inherited structures influence current seismic activity, and why parts of Africa, such as the East African Rift, are tectonically active today. Kolawole also highlights how understanding these processes is crucial for assessing earthquake hazards and advancing geoscience research, particularly in regions with limited data.

Folarin is assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences, seismology, geology, and tectonophysics at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University.