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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 10h

My academic colleagues are the

✨ B E S T ✨

They heard life is pretty rough right now + sent me a morale boost w/ happy memories. Apparently this is my default happy pose…

THANK YOU!!! 🩵🥹

(Hang in there, Fed Fam!)

Collage of expedition and geology field work pictures (top left- Chile; Top right- Jockey’s Ridge sand dunes, NC; bottom right- Arica, Chile in front of the altiplano; bottom left- post expedition).

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 1d

WAY too much free time on my hands right now. I'm on standby for a furlough recall, so I can't really go anywhere... so, here's a new blog.

Meet HOV Alvin's rogue counterpart. 🌊🪨🧪 #AT50-38

vo. 14. Rogue robots.

Author's Note: As I become increasingly bored on 2025 furlough, I'm trying to channel my frustration into creativity. Step 1- Identify rece...

geoshanz.blogspot.com

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 1d

UPDATE 🌊

Confirmed [via personal comms] my USGS colleagues were able to sail. Looks like they’ve had some weather, but they’re trying to map + sneak-in some ROV dives.

When to govt reopens, I’ll have access to the daily #NA176 reports, et al., (+) our draft #AT50-38 expedition report. Stay tuned!

Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 5d

Hope my colleagues were able to sail…I’m trying to follow along despite current furloughs (via public links). Lots of ROV dives over the next ~20 days + all live-streamed.

Enjoy a glimpse of the wonderful creatures + geology of the Cook Islands! 🌊🧪 #NA176

Ocean Exploration Trust @nautiluslive.org · 7d

Today, set sail on our last expedition of 2025 to explore previously unsurveyed deep-sea areas of the #CookIslands using mapping, telepresence, and the ROVs Hercules, Little Hercules, and Atalanta of #EVNautilus. Learn more in our blog: bit.ly/4gExwHY

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 1d

🔔 Meeting Announcement

Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG)- virtual/ Nov 12, 2025

ℹ️ www.lpi.usra.edu/mepag/meetin...

#PlanetarySci 🧪

MEPAG Virtual Meeting #19

November 12, 2025
Virtual

The Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group is scheduled to meet virtually on November 12, 2025. The MEPAG Virtual Meeting #19 provides a forum for the Mars science community to report on and discuss recent developments.

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 2d

Happy to see you had a good race 💫

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 5d

Hope my colleagues were able to sail…I’m trying to follow along despite current furloughs (via public links). Lots of ROV dives over the next ~20 days + all live-streamed.

Enjoy a glimpse of the wonderful creatures + geology of the Cook Islands! 🌊🧪 #NA176

Ocean Exploration Trust @nautiluslive.org · 7d

Today, set sail on our last expedition of 2025 to explore previously unsurveyed deep-sea areas of the #CookIslands using mapping, telepresence, and the ROVs Hercules, Little Hercules, and Atalanta of #EVNautilus. Learn more in our blog: bit.ly/4gExwHY

Exploring Deep Sea Habitats of the Cook Islands with New Camera Tech

OET’s last expedition of 2025 will explore previously unsurveyed deep-sea areas of the Cook Islands.

bit.ly

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 7d

Hmm, squishy but pliable. I’d say around gypsum, so Mohs 2.

Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 7d

Welp. Fur-low day.

I’m sure some folks don’t mind the time off, but I truly love my job- and I’m sad to shelf my research for an unknown duration 😔

Guess I can catch up on that infamous “READ ME NOW” folder of publications.

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 8d

If I’m tracking the correct overpass- Google maps says it’s closed through Oct 2026 now… did someone hit it yesterday?

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 9d

Magic around the land. These only show a small subset of the amenities. Truly incredible 💫

Chicken coop. Yep, this whole large green barn is a coop with chickens, turkeys, geese, and peacocks.

Stone bridge lined with lanterns overlooking a portion of the main house, 1,400 acre property, and a pond with two black swans. The pond is fed by a natural spring on the back side of the bridge.

Some of the cattle on the farm. They had a mix of breeds including Belties, Longhorns, Jerseys, and Holsteins.

A single metal tree swing overlooking the property and mountains.

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 9d

Inside shots from the property:

Inside the orangery is filled with exotic plants, birds, and monkeys. The greenhouse is similar in size to a regional botanical garden, but connects to the main house through a hallway.

The grand foyer with a symmetric staircase, a checkerboard white and gray marble floor, a wrap around balcony overlooking the main foyer, and several chandeliers and fireplaces.

The hallway connecting the main house to the orangery with a checkered pattern floor, and large French windows with plentiful natural light.

The British Folly on the back property serves as a hunting room with brown leather furniture, a rustic fireplace, and a fox hunting theme mural painted on the dome ceiling. The tones are warm- in contrast to the to the cool tones of the main house.

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 9d

Recently visited a farm that left me speechless. I walked around the property whispering, “this can’t be real.” It was magical- filled with animals and happiness!

📍High Meadow Manor, Flint Hill, VA

The main house is massive and looks like an English or French chateau with large pillars and symmetric rectangular shape. Fun fact- the buildings on the property are heated by 34x ~100m deep geothermal wells.

Inside the stables. The stables are immaculate with several breeds of horses for transporting carts throughout the property. The property is home to horses, cows, exotic birds, chickens, turkeys, monkeys, swans, pigs, goats, donkeys, and sheep. All animals receive extremely loving care and comfortable indoor and outdoor spaces.

The back courtyard overlooking the outside of the orangery. A large fountain adorned with pink roses leads to the main entrance and of the greenhouse.

The grand view from the front door of the main house. The front lawn extends hundreds of meters adorned with precisely manicured boxwoods, roses, and topiaries.

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 11d

Hurricane #Humberto is undergoing EXTREME rapid intensification.

If the next scale jump isn’t called:

< going plaid >

I’m going to be rapidly & extremely disappointed.

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 12d

Well. Lots of “maybe’s” next week:

• Fed Govt may shutdown
• Feds may get RIFd
• Hurricane may hit the SE…

For now, here’s a Fjord Horse.

Black and white photo of a Fjord horse stallion. He has epic “emo” blonde bangs hiding his eyes. He’s pretty cool. Photo by me!

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Reposted by Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊

Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · 12d

A paper in Nature Communications identifies 85 previously undocumented lakes beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet. These subglacial lakes fill and drain with a variety of patterns, revealing interconnected hydrological pathways channeling large volumes of water under the ice sheet. ⚒️ 🧪

Detection of 85 new active subglacial lakes in Antarctica from a decade of CryoSat-2 data - Nature Communications

Wilson and colleagues identify 85 previously undocumented lakes beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet. These subglacial lakes fill and drain with a variety of patterns, revealing interconnected hydrological pathways channeling large volumes of water under the ice sheet.

go.nature.com

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Reposted by Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊

Eos @eos.org · 13d

Did you know that there are blueberries on Mars? And they're made of #Hematite? Very cool, but definitely don't eat them.

eos.org/research-spo...

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 13d

I fully endorse this post!

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 13d

H E M A T I T E !!! #MinCup25

Mineral Cup #MinCup25 @mineralcup.bsky.social · 14d

#MinCup25 Quarterfinal 1: Colourful phoenix #Haüyne goes against heavyweight industrial powerhouse #Hematite.

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r3...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

Vote in Quarterfinal 1 — Mineral Cup

Click here to vote in Haüyne vs Hematite Photo credits: Jean-François Ferrandon and John Sobolewski

www.mineralcup.org

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 13d

Seriously though. 😆 I'm very good at tap dancing. Refined those skills through my MANY years as a Graduate TA.

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 13d

When you're a wonky scientist in a meeting with Top Brass and they ask a question only you know... and you get to talk about mineral alpha radiation (trying not to nervously giggle).

a man in a suit is dancing in front of a sign that says a on it .

Alt: Dr. Evil trying to run, but gets caught in a spotlight, then tries escaping before resorting to dancing.

media.tenor.com

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 13d

Had the pleasure of sailing with Mark "Drago" Dragovich on the R/V Atlantis transit from San Diego, CA to Dutch Harbor, AK. 🌊

Drago was a STEMSEAS Student and an absolute rockstar. Thrilled to watch his post-military career in ocean and Great Lakes sciences flourish! Please check out his recap ⤵️

Best Decision | whitepinepress

www.whitepinepresstc.com

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 14d

Just a few more days until the next expedition. USGS & NOAA colleagues are exploring the Cook Islands. (I’ll be serving as an Ashore Scientist).

Manuia te tere!

Deep-Sea Habitats of the Cook Islands |
1- 21 October, 2025 🌊🧪

NA176

Explore the ocean with us! We seek out new discoveries while conducting scientific exploration of the seafloor and stream live to the world aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus.

nautiluslive.org

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 15d

Now you know me 🙋🏻‍♀️ I still think they meant to call someone else, but hey, I answered 😆 Round 1 only.

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Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 16d

I literally jumped around my office! I didn't even know she was interviewed. I'm soooo happy for her 🚀

Dr. Geo Shanz 🪨🗺️🌊 @geoshanz.bsky.social · 16d

I'm absolutely THRILLED to hear my Mars colleague, Dr. Lauren Edgar was selected for the 2025 ASCAN Class. She will be an unbelievable addition to the Astronaut Corps- representing our Mars geology community well- and joining our current Mars geology NASA Astronaut, Dr. Jessica Watkins.

AD ASTRA 💫

Dr. Lauren Edgar being announced as a NASA Astronaut Candidate in the 2025 class.

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