Overview
Pumice is a rough, extrusive volcanic rock, produced when super-heated lava containing a high content of water and gas is violently discharged from a volcanic eruption. The highly pressurized gas bubbles escape the lava as the co-occurring cooling and depressurization create a frothy texture that then hardens and results in a very lightweight, lightly-colored, porous rock; this is due to the high silica content of the volcanic rock. With such a lightweight, porous body, it is the only rock known to float on water.
Pumice is produced from volcanoes, and as such it is generally found around underwater or terrestrial volcanic sites. Underwater eruptions create large amounts of pumice due to the rapid cooling of the lava when exposed to the cold ocean water. On land, pumice is mostly found and mined in Italy, Spain, Turkey, Chile, Greece and the western states of the USA.
Pumice is a highly versatile material. Because of its rough exterior and lightweight body, it has many different uses ranging from industrial, agricultural, and cosmetic. It is used to make cement, lime plaster, mortar, absorbent, and water filtration systems. As a surface finishing product, it can be used as an abrasive for polishing leather, metal, and wood. Or, it can be used for beauty products like body scrubs and dental cleaning (Applications for Pumice 2016).
Pumice mining has a much lower negative environmental impact than most other rocks and minerals as it is. The extraction of pumice involves surface mining procedures. The topsoil layer is removed in order to reach the pumice deposits. The layer of pumice is scraped out of the ground and then crushed, producing “mine grade” pumice. The soil that has been removed is saved for the later reclamation of the mining site. Depending on its extraction location, pumice mining does run the risk of contaminating the water of nearby lakes and streams which adversely affects wildlife ecosystems (Brobst 1973).
Situated Site #1
The city of Bend, Oregon shares home with the volcanic Three Sisters. Located in central Oregon, Bend has a dry, semi-arid high desert climate making it uniquely distinct from the characteristically wet, foggy weather of western Oregon. As a whole, Oregon is one of the leading producers of pumice in the country and its mines are located in Eastern Oregon near volcanic sites (Crangle 2015). Bend features both active and closed sites, but more sites are closing because its economy is largely sustainable without employment from the mines.
Originally known as a logging town, Bend has become characterized by its strong outdoor sports culture due to its close proximity to Mt. Bachelor and the Sunriver Resorts. Tourism substantiates a good source of employment and economic growth. But, people aren’t just visiting; Bend’s population of 176,000 people is growing because of its low unemployment and job opportunities, with Californians constituting a large portion of this shift. Along with strong tourism, healthcare is an important source of work and employs more than 10,000 people (Badenhausen 2016). In the mix, pumice mining is not a current source of significant economic growth and many branches closing down. In fact, mining isn’t even listed as one of the top 20 private regional employing businesses in the area. As a result, people don’t view pumice mining as an essential part of the area’s identity or source of living.
For the mines that are closing, they’re still being put to use. Oregon State University is in the works of building a new campus extension on a former pumice mine (Theen 2016). Becky Johnson, OSU-Cascades vice president, points to the significance of providing good education in Bend, “This purchase demonstrates Oregon State’s commitment to fully bring higher education to Central Oregon and serve 3,000 to 5,000 students by 2025” (Theen 2017).
Mining also fell out of popularity with residents because certain companies were removing unapproved soil and mining outside of sanctioned sites (Shorack 2015). In addition, “the company faced opposition from neighbors who voiced concerns about dust and noise” (Shorack 2015). Clearly, with regard to its tourism, healthcare, and education systems, pumice is not a defining element of Bend and its economic use has become increasingly obsolete. Now, the practice of mining it is even being viewed as more a nuisance and source of environmental degradation.
Situated Site #2
Iceland’s main pumice resource is in the southern part of the country around the large and very active volcano, Mt. Hekla. Mt. Hekla is a 4,892 ft stratovolcano part of a volcanic ridge, 25 miles long in the south of Iceland. A stratovolcano is made up of many different strata of hardened lava, pumice, and ash. Hekla has had at least twenty eruptions since the settlement of Iceland in 874 AD. The biggest eruption was in 1104 AD when it erupted without warning, ejecting millions of tonnes of tephra. It erupted four times in the 20th century, the last time in 2000 (Hekla 2017). The surrounding tephra area of the volcano is often rich with fluorine, making it hazardous to grazing animals such as caribou, Icelandic Horse, and the occasional arctic fox (Xun 2015).
There are many social and pop culture relations to Mt. Hekla where the pumice is mined. Mt. Hekla has been mentioned in poems by William Blake and was even referenced in the third chapter of the famous novel, Moby Dick. Mt. Hekla was the filming location of the critically acclaimed 2013 Spanish apocalyptic film Los Últimos Días, famous for winning several Gaudí Awards, an expansion of the Barcelona Cinema Awards (Hekla 2017).
Iceland’s economy depends heavily on its fishing and mining industry as well as tourism. Within the last decade Iceland has diversified its economy with new developments in software production and biotechnology. Despite these new technological changes, Iceland still relies on the exportation of various minerals such as aluminum, pumice, and oil (Forbes 2016).
The local firm Jardefnaidnadur, or JEI, specializes in processing pumice from Mt. Hekla for construction and horticulture materials. This extraction creates jobs for Icelanders and affects the local economy. JEI describes the process of extracting and producing the pumice as consisting of, grinding and screening the pumice to various grain sizes and then washing the pumice in crystal clear freshwater, to further improve the quality of the Hekla pumice. In 2006, about 70,000 tons of pumice stone were exported from the country. The main importers of JEI’s pumice products are Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, the United States, Sweden, and Belgium (Jardefnaidnadur 2017).
Situated Site #3
Greece is another one of the top exporters of pumice in the world. Its major deposits are on the island of Gyali. With a surface area of 4.63 km2, the small and typically uninhabited island is one of a collection of islands in the Southeastern Aegean Sea. Its closest settled neighbor is the island Nisyros.
Nisyros and Gyali are part of the the South Aegean Volcanic Arc, and their geologic and human history are in part defined by volcanic and seismic activity. Nisyros emerged from the water 200,000 years ago, continuing to grow through ongoing volcanic activity. Gyali is likely the result of an eruption north of the island some 160,000 years ago. This volcanic activity has continued over the years, though its activity has slowed. The most recent volcanic events occurred in 1888 and 1933, though earthquakes are still common. The volcano of Nisyros, responsible for the pumice deposits, is quite spectacular and important to the Nisyros communities. In August of 2016, a group of mostly Greek musicians hosted a 10 ½ hour improvisational music experience in the active volcanic Stefanos Crater. The artists mimic the powerful, eruptive force of the volcano which reminds listeners of the humbling qualities of nature.
Nisyros has a population of around 1,000, making up four small villages with buildings of traditional architecture, made of volcanic rock and pumice, a very good insulating material. The island of Gyali is home to less than 20 workers, and is accessible by boat by many of the surrounding islands. Visitors arriving by boat, likely there to enjoy the quiet beaches, are greeted with an island that appears as two similarly shaped hills, connected by a thin isthmus. One of these hills is the site of the pumice quarry, and the other hill a large mound of obsidian deposits. The Gyali quarry has been operated by LAVA Mining and Quarrying since 1952. Today, LAVA has a production capacity of 1,000,000 tons of pumice a year, though after the 2013 – 2014 economic crisis, production might be closer to 420-430 thousand ton of pumice (Tzeferis 2015). As of the 1990s, the quarry operated on Gyali was one of very few non-agricultural sources of work for the Nisyros communities (Burton 1991). Very important to LAVA is its commitment to environmental preservation – the island even operates a nursery onsite for indigenous species. They have planted 30,000 trees in recent years to replace the loss of biodiversity due to intensive mining. Further, they are responsible for important economic and social development of the Nisyros community. In addition to hiring largely local staff, it gives €250,000 to the local community through sponsorships and trainings.
Unlike many of the surrounding Greek islands, Nisyros has not become a major tourist destination. This is likely due to its remoteness (a 14 hour ferry ride from mainland town of Piraeus), as well as its very frequent seismic activity. Its limited sources of fresh water (Burton 1991) could also be reason for this. It stands in contrast to Santorini, another Greek island pumice producer, though Santorini closed its mines in the 1980s to support its tourism industry. Without such a tourism industry, Nisyros is largely dependent on Gyali’s pumice quarry for its income. As of 2013, it is likely to continue being a major exporter of pumice (Shi 2016), though the impressive Nisyros Volcano could begin to bring more tourists as well.
Situated Site #4
Italy is one of the leading exporters of pumice. Specifically, the volcanic Island, Lipari, was a prominent exporter before it was shut down due to significant wide-scale land erosion on December 1st 2006 (Industrial Minerals 2006). In 2000, up to 600,000 tons of pumice were exported there (Italy 2017). Lipari had been exporting volcanic rock for thousands of years and its cultivation was deeply entrenched in their economic identity. Pumice mines were shut down years ago when these Islands were declared a UNESCO heritage site, and gained legal protection as a culturally sensitive area (Donders 2014). The people of Lipari relied heavily on pumice mining for economic security, but have switched to tourism. Pumice continues to be a defining characteristic of the area as it is still sold in tourist souvenir shops. Although it is no longer extracted for commercial purposes, pumice can still be easily found around the island (Tourist Heaven Ltd 2017).
The Aeolian Islands, the island chain that Lipari belongs, were created by extensive volcanic activity. Two of the main volcanoes, Stromboli and Vulcano, are still considered active (Luchi 2013). Lipari is one of the eight Aeolian Islands that have been shaped by volcanic activity for the past 260,000 years and has a surface area of 37.6 Kilometres . At the end of Kaos, a film by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, children were depicted sliding down vast slopes of white pumice into the sea. Today however, the Pumice stops about one meter from the sea. In an attempt to preserve the natural beauty of the island, development is severely restricted.
Pumex SpA was was once the company responsible for several open-cast pumice mines on Lipari . The company is centered in London and also imports and distributes Calcium Carbonate, Talc, Aluminium Oxide, Glass Beads, Silicon Carbide, Plastic Media and Alumaglass (Italy 2017). Pumex SpA distributes products mainly to companies within Italy. Since the mines have been abandoned, the company has downsized significantly. Now that the pumice mines have been shut down, Lipari’s economy is built around tourism. During the tourist season, Lipari’s population grows from 11,230 to nearly 20,000 people (Tourist Heaven Ltd 2017).
Still, pumice continues to be an iconic part of the country’s landscape. The now inactive mines were preserved and are used as tourist attractions. And for the massive holes created by mines and quarries, they are being converted into a park with an eco-museum and thermal baths. Pumice continues to be an important part of the society, environmental , and meaning of Lipari.
Conclusion
Pumice is more than just a single location maker, industrial value, or piece of geology. For each place, their relationship with the rock concerning nature, social value, and meaning was different. The Italian island of Lipari depended on Pumice mining as a source of economic life and although the practice has ended, pumice continues to be a landmark of the area that attracts tourists. In Bend, although important, a foundation in logging and an eventual shift to tourism made pumice a sideline aspect of the area and only contributed to the industrial manifestation of products.
The pumice production in Mt. Hekla, Iceland proves vital for the local economy. Similarly, the quarry on Gyali is a major contributor to the Nisyros economy, and the spectacular volcano responsible for the deposits defines the area to this day. From pumice itself to its volcanic sources, several places have come to define their relationship with the mineral uniquely, to suit their needs. By situating pumice in these different regions, it allows us the perspective to see that there is not a single worldview. Each culture has their own perspective of the world in which they live in, and buzzwords like ‘utility,’ ‘beauty,’ or ‘profitability’ are entirely subjective.
For those without the context of place, the mineral becomes abstract and detached from the world. Without knowing the work that goes into the mining of the rock and its relational history to its surrounding people, consumers cannot understand the true importance of the mineral. In regards to the environmental impacts that pumice mining has, it is crucial to understand the history of a people’s relationship with the strifes and/or advantages of said mining. Pumice mining contributes to water contamination, land erosion, and noise pollution. But without it, one cannot be expected to boycott products or call for substitutions when they have no context of the severity of a situation. On the other hand, the benefits of pumice mining for a community’s economy and our social wellbeing is important to acknowledge.
Works Cited
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Theen, Andrew. “Oregon State will buy 46 acre Bend pumice mine, expand campus.” Oregon Live. January 27, 2016. Accessed February 25, 2017.
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