The only rock that floats in water is pumice.
Pumice is a highly vesicular pyroclastic igneous rock of intermediate to siliceous magmas including rhyolite, trachyte and phonolite.
Pumice is formed as pyroclastic material is ejected into the air as a froth containing masses of gas bubbles or vessicles, the lava solidifies quickly and the vessicles are contained in the rock. The basaltic version of pumice is known as scoria and has many differences due to mineralogy. When larger amounts of gas are present, the result is a finer-grained variety of pumice known as pumicite.
Pumice is considered a glass because it has no crystal structure. Pumice varies in density according to the thickness of the solid material between the bubbles; many samples float in water.
After the explosion of Krakatoa rafts of pumice up to 25m long floated through the Pacific Ocean for up to two years, some with palm trees and other vegetation growing on them. In 1979, 1984 and 2006, underwater volcanic eruptions near Tonga created large pumice rafts, some as large as 30 km that floated hundreds of miles to Fiji.
There are two main forms of vesicles. Some pumice contains tubular and subparallel ones which give the pumice a silky fibrous texture due to extrusion and flowage of the pumice as it is formed. The other form of vesicles are subspherical to spherical and result from high vapour pressure during eruption.
Pumice is widely used to make lightweight concrete and as an abrasive, especially in polishes and cosmetics exfoliants. Pumice stones are often used in salons during the pedicure process to remove dry and excess skin from the bottom of the foot and also calluses. When used as an additive for cement, a fine-grained version of pumice called pozzolan is mixed with lime to form a light-weight, smooth, plaster-like concrete. This form of concrete was used as far back as Roman times.
2007-03-16 17:03:55
·
answer #1
·
answered by SeG 3
·
0⤊
1⤋
Pumice, a form of solidified lava that incorporates gas bubbles.
If you want to see pumice, it's sold in the health and beauty aisle at the grocery or drug store, as an abrasive stone for removing rough skin from one's feet, elbows, etc. It's usually white, and it has a pitted surface texture.
Not all pumice floats, it depends on the density of the particular specimen, which in turn depends on the amount of gas that was incorporated into the lava.
2007-03-16 17:01:54
·
answer #2
·
answered by Joni DaNerd 6
·
2⤊
0⤋
Bamburgh fort, Northumberland, England. it fairly is a appropriate view over the sea and sand dunes to the fort, in specific cases silhouetted against the putting solar. The fort remains an area of living and is open to the common public. yet another candidate is the fort on Holy Island which stands on a crag of the Millstone stratum. It additionally stands close to the sea. this is purely alongside the coast from Bamburgh. A letter or email to the Northumberland vacationer Board could provide you photos of the two. the only different applicants are St. Michael's Mount off the coast of Cornwall and its namesake off the coast of northern France. the two look very comparable. extra afield, there is completely Elsinore fort in Denmark comprises concepts. superb desires,
2016-12-19 07:21:00
·
answer #3
·
answered by roedel 3
·
0⤊
0⤋
Pumice floats in water.
Doug
2007-03-16 17:03:06
·
answer #4
·
answered by doug_donaghue 7
·
0⤊
1⤋
a rock who's density is less than water
2007-03-16 17:01:35
·
answer #5
·
answered by Blahblah_bbbllaah 2
·
0⤊
1⤋
pumice
2007-03-16 17:01:15
·
answer #6
·
answered by skigrrl66 3
·
1⤊
1⤋
lava???
2007-03-16 17:01:13
·
answer #7
·
answered by Sydmom 4
·
0⤊
3⤋