The 150km2 stone block floats on the Pacific Ocean
The giant pumice mass formed after an underwater volcanic eruption near Tonga and will drift to the coast of Australia in another 7-12 months.
Foam blocks across the French city of Paris cover the waters around the ships of Australian couple Michael Hoult and Larissa Brill on August 9.This pumice stone is thought to be the result of a deep-sea volcanic eruption near the Tonga Islands in the South Pacific. Pumice stone forms when lava comes into contact with water. As the lava cools down, it creates rocks that contain a lot of air bubbles, which can float on the water.
Concentrated pumice stones of this type are often referred to as pumice rafts due to the aggregate of rocks forming a large, floating mass. Pumice blocks are floating towards the Australian coastal area so large that they can be tracked by satellite.
"Swimming through the sea of floating rocks is really a strange experience. You no longer see the water and only hear the rubbing of pumice on the ship" , Associate Professor Scott Bryan, geologist at Public University Queensland technology, said.
Michael Hoult looked at the pumice stones.(Photo: CNN).
The pumice block can run aground in the Australian coast for another 7-12 months and carry many marine organisms."On this 150-square-kilometer pebble block, there are billions to trillions of floating pieces of rock, each piece of stone becomes a vehicle for some marine organism. When going to the Australian coast, pumice stones will Covered by organisms such as algae, oysters, corals, crabs, snails and worms, " Bryan said.
The phenomenon occurs every 5 years and can help regenerate the environment. However, pumice rafts can be dangerous for boats, so captains often avoid running through them.
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