Pumice Rock Facts
Pumice can be defined as a vesicular volcanic rock as it has irregular shaped cavities or vesicular. These cavities give it a bubbly, sponge like texture. This vesicular texture comes from the quick cooling of magma during the formation of the rock. It is light enough to even float in water because of low density. It has composition somewhat similar to rhyolite. Pumice Rock is also known as an extrusive igneous rock as it forms outside of the volcano. It has various commercial uses and can be obtained from strip mines or open pit mines.
Facts you didn’t know: –
- Pumice rock is formed during explosive volcanic eruptions.
- These rocks are generally light brown or gray in colour. Other colours like, white, black, reddish black do exist but they are very rare.
- Pumice rock is also used for the production of lightweight concrete blocks and other concrete products.
- It can be used as drainage rock and soil conditioner in plants.
- A fine grained version of this rock is called pozzolan. It is the main product used when creating lightweight concrete blocks.
- Italy is the largest provider of Pumice rock.
- Although it can float on water but get waterlogged and sinks eventually.
- It can be used in washing jeans to give them a worn look.
- Vesicles in these rocks are actually gas bubbles, trapped in the rock during the rapid cooling of a gas-rich magma.
- Pumicite is used in toothpastes, polishes, pencil erasers and cosmetic exfoliators etc.
- It is considered as a whipped glass.
- Color of the pumice rock depends on the amount of silica in it. If it is light in colour, it has less amount of silica.
