Size  8cm x 6cm
 
A cabinet sized speciman of this unusual volcanic rock. Pumice is formed when lava with a very high water and gas content is discharged from a volcano. As the gas bubbles escape the lava becomes frothy and when it cools a rock that is very light and full of gas bubbles is formed. It is actually light enough that it can float on water, and this is how it gets transported around the world. The pacific ocean region still has active volcanoes, and when these are near the sea pumice can float for thousands of kilometres. The east coast of australia, after favourable weather conditions can have pumice wash up on its beaches. This came from an old collection we purchased and was probably washed up on a beach, hence the location being "pacific ocean", a precise locality will never be known.