At ground level, Hicks Dome looks like one of the many other bluffs in southern Illinois, but under the surface, it's a dormant volcano with unusual minerals and elements. The 21st was joined by a geologist that's been studying the dome.

At ground level, Hicks Dome looks like one of the many other bluffs in southern Illinois, but under the surface it's a dormant volcano with unusual minerals and elements. The 21st was joined by a geologist that's been studying the dome.

For decades, archeologists have debated when humans first set foot in North America. Now, ancient footprints discovered in New Mexico are offering some clues to when people first inhabited the continent we call home, which could alter the widely accepted timeline for when humans first lived in North America by thousands of years. This segment originally aired September 30, 2021.

Teaching geology in east central Illinois is complicated  - mostly by the fact that nearly all of our rock is covered by 300-foot deep glacial deposits

What can students experience on a weekend trip to southern Illinois? Cliffs, cypress swamps, venomous snakes--the whole Milky Way galaxy! Come along with us.