# Pumice

Frothy volcanic glass so full of gas bubbles it can float, used as lightweight aggregate, pozzolan, abrasive and growing medium.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pumice/

Construction · No. 83

- Not on a critical list
 Construction · Foundation · Matter

Pumice is lava froth so full of frozen gas bubbles that it floats, and it softened your stone-washed jeans.

Chart: Illustration: Pumice

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

During explosive eruptions, gas-rich lava froths and cools so quickly that the bubbles freeze into glass. World output was about 20 million t in 2025.

##### Three things to know

1. Turkey produced about 9.7 million t of pumice in 2025, nearly half of the world's 20 million t.
2. Greece supplied 80% of US pumice imports over 2021-24, mainly to east and Gulf coast markets far from western mines.
3. Identified US resources exceed 25 million t, about 58 years at 2025 output.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Eruption**Gas-rich lava froths and freezes to glass
2. 2 **Open pit**Dug from shallow volcanic deposits
3. 3 **Sizing**Crushed and screened by size
4. 4 **Drying**Dried, then bagged or bulk loaded
5. 5 **Products**Light blocks, concrete, horticulture, denim washing

##### Go deeper pick a tab to open it in full

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pumice/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pumice/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pumice/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pumice/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pumice/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pumice/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pumice/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pumice/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pumice/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pumice/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pumice/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/pumice/links/index.md)