Bedrock: Earth's Earliest History

Welcome to Season 3 of Bedrock!
This season will cover the Paleoarchean Era, from 3.6 to 3.2 billion years ago, or March to April on the "Earth Calendar". Get ready for more fossils and strange new rocks! In this episode, we'll see why Season 3 begins and ends when it does: an extinction? an impact? or something more random?
On the way, we'll visit geology's great "Council of Time", meet a bishop who was a founder of modern geology, and make a cake on the edge of the Grand Canyon.
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While we're on a break between seasons, and while I'm starting my new job, I figured this would be a nice palate cleanser. There's no script, just answers like I'd actually give in person.
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Today, I talk about the day I fell in love with "fossil pond scum", some of my favorite field locations, and my favorite time period in Earth history. Enjoy!

Get caught up on Season 2!
The Eoarchean Era covers 4 to 3.6 billion years ago, Feb 15 to March 19 on the Earth Calendar. Highlights include: the oldest rock on Earth (24), a dimmer Sun (28), the Man in the Moon (35), the oldest ash (46) the oldest uncontested(-ish) evidence for life (50), and the oldest rocks in the USA (55).
While you wait for Season 3, check out patreon.com/bedrockpodcast for episodes of Hometown Geology, or bedrockpodcast.com for helpful scripts and images! Thanks for all the support!

Season 2 Finale!
For 50 years, the title of "USA's Oldest Rock" was held on the prairies of western Minnesota. In 2025, that throne was usurped by a brand new study. Where is this "new" ancient location, what rocks are here, and how old are they? Stay tuned to find out!
Dylan has an exciting announcement: he has a new visiting professor job at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota! Thanks to everyone for their support.
Speaking of which, if you want to donate:
Monthly donations on Patreon
One-off donations on Paypal

We finally end our great Greenland adventure with one final question: how did all these diverse rocks become squeezed together, 3.6 billion years ago? The answer to that question can tell us a lot about how the early Earth worked. According to some folks, plate tectonics was very similar to today. To others, Earth was a very alien world indeed. Along the way, we'll visit trenches off the coast of Japan, and turn our hands into tectonic plates.
Dylan also has an exciting announcement: he has a new visiting professor job at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota! Thanks to everyone for their support.
Speaking of which, if you want to donate:
Monthly donations on Patreon
One-off donations on Paypal