Error message

@macrostrat.org something is broken this evening.

Also new are new base map layers, satellite and contour maps. You can also change the transparency of the geology layer to get the map looking exactly the way you want it.

New Backseat Geologist features just dropped. Points of interest include over 2,500 volcanoes and over 1,000 major earthquakes. Tap for details from the global volcanism program and VOGRIPA and the USGS.

Backseat geologist app screenshot showing correlated unit position in stratigraphic column

Final update for the year on Backseat Geologist. Built a display for Macrostrat regional stratigraphic columns. Attempts to correlate the unit you tapped on to its place in the column. @macrostrat.org

Version 1.6 of Backseat Geo is out now. Integrated Macrostrat column data and USGS quaternary faults data into the geology description prompts. This required parsing the data and associating the current unit to its place in the column as these systems are not always aligned.

Backseat Geologist - Apps on Google Play Your Personal Geology Guide

The android version of Backseat Geologist is out now! Pretty much full feature parity with the iOS version.

play.google.com/store/apps/d...

Umm is Backseat Geologist featured in Europe?? This impressions graph is insane.

Looks similar but this is the Android version!

forms.gle/vK3NrPPNB1g7...

I finally have the android version of Backseat Geologist ready for testing. If anyone wants to be part of the closed beta please put your email in the form. And I totally understand not wanting to put your email in this form but I have to have 12 testers to release.

Backseat geologist app screenshot showing download feature

Liquid Glass update is out for Backseat Geologist! Also you can now download geologic map visual tiles and data for offline use.

Liquid Glass is looking pretty cool in backseat geologist. Trying to get everything ready for the iOS 26 release.

New geology of your current location widget in Backseat Geologist

FCS bedrock breakdown.

Great to see these updates coming to Rockd.

Bedrock under each football conference

This is the bedrock breakdown by major college football conference. The ACC takes home awards for oldest rocks and most diverse rocks. SEC has the biggest age spread. BIG10 is now the sedimentary conference. BIG 12 needs to get some real rocks and not this unconsolidated junk.

I learned that WFS and WMS services are a thing this weekend and that was a major rabbit hole.

What's Coming Next for Backseat Geologist - Backseat Geologist Here is my vision and goals for what I want to build next for Backseat Geologist.

backseatgeologist.com/blog/app-roa...

Trying out a blog I guess? Here’s the roadmap for the app. I also want to dive into the cross section of geology and technology, write a little about app development, and other random intersections of geology and my interests.

I wanted to see what rocks are under every FBS college football stadium. Here’s the oldest and youngest rocks by stadium. ACC dominates oldest rocks.

Any iOS devs here able to explain how major version transitions work? Can’t submit updates with beta compiler, can’t compile if #available flags with stable compiler?

Backseat geologist screenshot.

It’s a real pain that while working on Backseat Geologist 90% of my daily life happens in the same orange blob of biotite gneiss. I wish I could test it on my commute!

I want to do android eventually! This is a hobby in my spare time so it will be a while but it will come someday.

Another small issue I had with Rockd is that it defaults to the dashboard view, which is nice for info exactly where you are but I always just wanted the map. Backseat geologist is map forward so you can immediately see the units around you. Tap for the unit and tap again for details.

Backseat Geologist solves a problem for me (actually my wife) by not having her read esoteric geology descriptions aloud while we drive somewhere new haha.

Rockd was probably the best geologic map app on the AppStore. I wanted to see if I could take it another step by automating the reading of the descriptions. I built Backseat Geologist using the same Macrostrat data with a system to give real time updates about the rocks under you as you drive.

Just submitted my first app to Apple for review. It’s a fun geology app that gives you real-time updates on the geology around you as you travel. backseatgeologist.com

Puerto Natales if you’re going to Torres Del Paine.

GitHub - blake365/usgs-quakes-mcp: An MCP server for querying the USGS Earthquake API with natural language An MCP server for querying the USGS Earthquake API with natural language - blake365/usgs-quakes-mcp

github.com/blake365/usg...
MCP server for querying the USGS earthquake API so the natural language. Try where was the largest earthquake in 2024 or how many quakes with magnitude > 5 occurred in October 2024.

GitHub - blake365/macrostrat-mcp: MCP server for accessing geologic data with the Macrostrat API MCP server for accessing geologic data with the Macrostrat API - blake365/macrostrat-mcp

github.com/blake365/mac...
MCP server for better geology info in Claude desktop

Just built two MCP servers that allow querying of the Macrostrat API and USGS earthquake API with natural language through Claude desktop. Really fun to mess around with these.

Took me two days to get my first model context protocol server running but once I finally did I couldn’t wait to start building one myself.