What’s Scoria and How Does it Differ from Pumice?
Scoria and pumice are two comparable igneous rocks which have volcanic origins. They’re each shaped when magma is quickly cooled throughout a volcanic eruption, leading to a foam-like glassy rock crammed with fuel bubbles. Though these two kinds of materials are fairly comparable in some ways, there are a number of key variations that make them stand out.
Formation and Construction
Scoria is shaped when lava containing plentiful quantities of dissolved and semi-gasified gases rapidly cools whereas exiting a volcano. This causes the solidification and growth of the gases, which provides the mafic rock its distinct vesicular construction crammed with minute bubble-shaped cavities. In distinction, pumice is created when the molten lava that’s wealthy in silica froths upon being rapidly quenched whereas exiting a volcano, giving it its extraordinarily porous composition.
Look
Scoria sometimes seems darkish black or reddish in coloration as a result of presence of iron and magnesium oxide minerals, which give it a metallic sheen. In distinction, pumice typically takes on a light-weight grey or white hue, as a result of excessive presence of quartz and feldspar in its composition.
Makes use of
Scoria has quite a lot of sensible makes use of, because of its excessive thermal resistivity and its capacity to withstand erosion. It’s generally used as an combination in concrete, as an insulation materials, and within the landscaping of gardens and parks. Alternatively, pumice is most frequently employed as an abrasive materials in industrial settings, such because the cleansing of onerous surfaces in water remedy crops, paper mills, and different industrial websites.
Conclusion
In abstract, scoria and pumice are each volcanic rocks with comparable traits, however they’ve a number of key variations with reference to their formation, look, and makes use of. Scoria tends to be darker in coloration and is usually employed as a constructing combination and thermal insulation, whereas pumice seems lighter in coloration and is steadily used as industrial abrasive materials.
