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The World's Greatest Geological Wonders: 36 Spectacular Sites lectures 1-36 Professor Michael E. Wysession
A two book transcript of 36 different Geological Wonders
Paperback
Published January 1, 2013
About the author
Michael E. Wysession
49 books16 followersProf. Michael Edward Wysession is a member of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, USA, and author of numerous science textbooks published by Pearson Education and Prentice Hall.
Wysession earned his B.Sc. from Brown University in 1980 and his Ph.D. at Northwestern University in 1991, and has been on the faculty at Washington University since then. His research has focused on using seismic waves to identify the composition and structure of Earth's mantle, with special focus on the boundary between the mantle and core. In 1996, Wysession created one of the first maps of the structure of Earth's core-mantle boundary, and in 1999, he created the first accurate computer-generated animation of the way seismic waves propagate through Earth's mantle. An example of his research was the identification with Jesse Lawrence of the lower mantle Beijing Anomaly. Wysession is chair of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored Earth Science Literacy Initiative, leading a research community-based effort that created a concise document of what all citizens should know about Earth science. He has been active for many years with the leadership of IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology), and has served as Chair for the past four years of the Education and Outreach Program, working to advance global awareness of earthquakes and seismology. Wysession also helped to create the NSF program on Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics, and is an editor of the journal Geophysical Research Letters, published by the American Geophysical Union.
Wysession is the lead author of Prentice Hall's high school physical science book Physical Science: Concepts in Action, and writer of their high school Earth Science and middle school Earth science Science Explorer books. He is also a co-author of Pearson's new K-8 national science program, Interactive Science. Wysession is co-author of a leading undergraduate/graduate geophysics textbook with Seth Stein entitled Introduction to Seismology, Earthquakes, and Earth Structure. Wysession is author of the best-selling video course How the Earth Works with The Teaching Company, which consists of 48 30-minute lectures on all aspects of Earth science. He is the designer and instructor of a course entitled Earth, Moon, and Mars that he presents at different NASA locations. Wysession is a frequent lecturer internationally at teacher organization meetings (such as the National Science Teachers Association), science centers, and other venues.
Wysession earned his B.Sc. from Brown University in 1980 and his Ph.D. at Northwestern University in 1991, and has been on the faculty at Washington University since then. His research has focused on using seismic waves to identify the composition and structure of Earth's mantle, with special focus on the boundary between the mantle and core. In 1996, Wysession created one of the first maps of the structure of Earth's core-mantle boundary, and in 1999, he created the first accurate computer-generated animation of the way seismic waves propagate through Earth's mantle. An example of his research was the identification with Jesse Lawrence of the lower mantle Beijing Anomaly. Wysession is chair of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored Earth Science Literacy Initiative, leading a research community-based effort that created a concise document of what all citizens should know about Earth science. He has been active for many years with the leadership of IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology), and has served as Chair for the past four years of the Education and Outreach Program, working to advance global awareness of earthquakes and seismology. Wysession also helped to create the NSF program on Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics, and is an editor of the journal Geophysical Research Letters, published by the American Geophysical Union.
Wysession is the lead author of Prentice Hall's high school physical science book Physical Science: Concepts in Action, and writer of their high school Earth Science and middle school Earth science Science Explorer books. He is also a co-author of Pearson's new K-8 national science program, Interactive Science. Wysession is co-author of a leading undergraduate/graduate geophysics textbook with Seth Stein entitled Introduction to Seismology, Earthquakes, and Earth Structure. Wysession is author of the best-selling video course How the Earth Works with The Teaching Company, which consists of 48 30-minute lectures on all aspects of Earth science. He is the designer and instructor of a course entitled Earth, Moon, and Mars that he presents at different NASA locations. Wysession is a frequent lecturer internationally at teacher organization meetings (such as the National Science Teachers Association), science centers, and other venues.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 12, 2021
This series of 36 half-hour lectures is a show-and-tell about just how wonderful, weird, and diverse our planet is, with one brief side-trip to Mars and Venus for their wonderful weirdness. It's a world tour for geology geeks.
Some of the places highlighted are Mount Fuji, Erta Ale, Iguazu Falls, Mammoth Caves, Ha Long Bay, Fiordland National Park, Kawah Ijen, and the Namib Desert. Each lectures focuses on one geologic wonder, but Dr. Wysession sneaks more in by ending each section with his "top five" list of other places that are similar in some way. So while the subtitle to the course is "36 Spectacular Sites," he really ends up covering more than 200+ sites before he's finished. Among my favorites were the sections on Salar de Uyuni, Bryce Canyon, Uluru, and the Auroras.
Unlike some of the longer GCs, where one can burn out on the topic or the presenter, I thought this GC got better with each episode. Dr. Wysession's enthusiasm is fun to watch (as is his collection of odd science-themed ties). His explanations are clear and concise without talking down to the listener, and he often uses refreshingly low-tech demonstrations to demonstrate a point.
I think this is one of the older GCs because the editing is not always the smoothest, but it's just not that big a deal in the end.
Some of the places highlighted are Mount Fuji, Erta Ale, Iguazu Falls, Mammoth Caves, Ha Long Bay, Fiordland National Park, Kawah Ijen, and the Namib Desert. Each lectures focuses on one geologic wonder, but Dr. Wysession sneaks more in by ending each section with his "top five" list of other places that are similar in some way. So while the subtitle to the course is "36 Spectacular Sites," he really ends up covering more than 200+ sites before he's finished. Among my favorites were the sections on Salar de Uyuni, Bryce Canyon, Uluru, and the Auroras.
Unlike some of the longer GCs, where one can burn out on the topic or the presenter, I thought this GC got better with each episode. Dr. Wysession's enthusiasm is fun to watch (as is his collection of odd science-themed ties). His explanations are clear and concise without talking down to the listener, and he often uses refreshingly low-tech demonstrations to demonstrate a point.
I think this is one of the older GCs because the editing is not always the smoothest, but it's just not that big a deal in the end.
January 4, 2022
1. Santorini—Impact of Volcanic Eruptions
2. Mount Fuji—Sleeping Power
3. Galapagos Rift—Wonders of Mid-Ocean Ridges
4. African Rift Valley—Cracks into the Earth
5. Erta Ale—Compact Fury of Lava Lakes
6. Burgess Shale—Rocks and the Keys to Life
7. The Grand Canyon—Earth’s Layers
8. The Himalayas—Mountains at Earth’s Roof
9. The Ganges Delta—Earth’s Fertile Lands
10. The Amazon Basin—Lungs of the Planet
11. Iguazu Falls—Thundering Waterfalls
12. Mammoth Cave—Worlds Underground
13. Cave of Crystals—Exquisite Caves
14. Great Blue Hole—Coastal Symmetry in Sinkholes
15. Ha Long Bay—Dramatic Karst Landscapes
16. Bryce Canyon—Creative Carvings of Erosion
17. Uluru/Ayers Rock—Sacred Nature of Rocks
18. Devils Tower—Igneous Enigmas
19. Antarctica—A World of Ice
20. Columbia Glacier—Unusual Glacier Cycles
21. Fiordland National Park—Majestic Fjords
22. Rock of Gibraltar—Catastrophic Floods
23. Bay of Fundy—Inexorable Cycle of Tides
24. Hawaii—Volcanic Island Beauty
25. Yellowstone—Geysers and Hot Springs
26. Kawah Ijen—World’s Most Acidic Lake
27. Iceland—Where Fire Meets Ice
28. The Maldives—Geologic Paradox
29. The Dead Sea—Sinking and Salinity
30. Salar de Uyuni—Flattest Place on Earth
31. Namib/Kalahari Deserts—Sand Mountains
32. Siwa Oasis—Paradise amidst Desolation
33. Auroras—Light Shows on the Edge of Space
34. Arizona Meteor Crater—Visitors from Outer Space
35. A Montage of Geologic Mini-Wonders
36. Planetary Wonders—Out of This World
2. Mount Fuji—Sleeping Power
3. Galapagos Rift—Wonders of Mid-Ocean Ridges
4. African Rift Valley—Cracks into the Earth
5. Erta Ale—Compact Fury of Lava Lakes
6. Burgess Shale—Rocks and the Keys to Life
7. The Grand Canyon—Earth’s Layers
8. The Himalayas—Mountains at Earth’s Roof
9. The Ganges Delta—Earth’s Fertile Lands
10. The Amazon Basin—Lungs of the Planet
11. Iguazu Falls—Thundering Waterfalls
12. Mammoth Cave—Worlds Underground
13. Cave of Crystals—Exquisite Caves
14. Great Blue Hole—Coastal Symmetry in Sinkholes
15. Ha Long Bay—Dramatic Karst Landscapes
16. Bryce Canyon—Creative Carvings of Erosion
17. Uluru/Ayers Rock—Sacred Nature of Rocks
18. Devils Tower—Igneous Enigmas
19. Antarctica—A World of Ice
20. Columbia Glacier—Unusual Glacier Cycles
21. Fiordland National Park—Majestic Fjords
22. Rock of Gibraltar—Catastrophic Floods
23. Bay of Fundy—Inexorable Cycle of Tides
24. Hawaii—Volcanic Island Beauty
25. Yellowstone—Geysers and Hot Springs
26. Kawah Ijen—World’s Most Acidic Lake
27. Iceland—Where Fire Meets Ice
28. The Maldives—Geologic Paradox
29. The Dead Sea—Sinking and Salinity
30. Salar de Uyuni—Flattest Place on Earth
31. Namib/Kalahari Deserts—Sand Mountains
32. Siwa Oasis—Paradise amidst Desolation
33. Auroras—Light Shows on the Edge of Space
34. Arizona Meteor Crater—Visitors from Outer Space
35. A Montage of Geologic Mini-Wonders
36. Planetary Wonders—Out of This World
June 20, 2023
Teaching Company lecture series. I got this on Kanopy through the library. Definitely a lecture series where the visuals matter. Very informative. I’d watch it again in a few years.
April 24, 2026
Really awesome course. Thought I knew quite a lot already about earth science but I learned so much from this. The professor is enthusiastic about the topic and did a wonderful job with this course.
January 28, 2023
Изумительно, у меня просто нет слов, насколько эта серия лекций интересна.
Я проглатывал их по несколько штук сразу.
С одной стороны это практически как турпоездка по самым интересным местам мира.
Но рассказывает не гламурная дама или эпатированный хипстер, как по телевизору, и не о том где купить самую крутую сумочку или где вас с аквалангом засунут под воду.
Рассказывает ученый, в каждом случае объясняя суть явления.
Помимо того, что эти места впечатляют чисто визуально и своим масштабом, из рассказа лектора ты видишь изменения Земли в масштабе миллионов и миллиардов лет.
Эти лекции также можно порекомендовать с чисто терапевтической точки зрения.
Самые масштабные события в рамках человечества это такая мелочь даже не во вселенском масштабе, а просто в масштабе геологии Земли.
И по сравнению с тем, что Земля может нам устроить - и в каких-то местах уже устраивает, это все просто чепуха.
Обязательно с видео, конечно, в аудиоверсии вы получите не более 10%.
Я проглатывал их по несколько штук сразу.
С одной стороны это практически как турпоездка по самым интересным местам мира.
Но рассказывает не гламурная дама или эпатированный хипстер, как по телевизору, и не о том где купить самую крутую сумочку или где вас с аквалангом засунут под воду.
Рассказывает ученый, в каждом случае объясняя суть явления.
Помимо того, что эти места впечатляют чисто визуально и своим масштабом, из рассказа лектора ты видишь изменения Земли в масштабе миллионов и миллиардов лет.
Эти лекции также можно порекомендовать с чисто терапевтической точки зрения.
Самые масштабные события в рамках человечества это такая мелочь даже не во вселенском масштабе, а просто в масштабе геологии Земли.
И по сравнению с тем, что Земля может нам устроить - и в каких-то местах уже устраивает, это все просто чепуха.
Обязательно с видео, конечно, в аудиоверсии вы получите не более 10%.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews