The number one hotspot for igneous rocks is, you guessed it, near volcanoes. If you stand next to an active volcano—please, do it from a safe distance—you’re basically standing on a rock factory. The lava that spews out cools into rocks like basalt and obsidian (that’s the glassy black stuff that looks like a supervillain’s window).
And it’s not just the lava rivers. When a volcano erupts, it can launch chunks of pumice into the air. Pumice is so full of air bubbles that it can actually float in water. Yes, a rock that floats. A rock. Floats. It’s like a tiny, volcanic cork. Nature’s party trick.
You’ll find these beauties all along the Pacific Ring of Fire—places like Hawaii, Japan, and Indonesia. If you ever visit Hawaii, don’t just take a selfie with a palm tree; look for the black sand beaches. That’s not dirt, my friend; that’s crushed basalt. Fancy, huh?
