Rhyolite as rock of the year 2026
Rhyolite is a volcanic extrusive rock that forms from magma with a particularly high silica content and is similar in chemical composition to granite. It is also known by its outdated name, quartz porphyry. When this lava cools quickly, it forms black volcanic glass – obsidian. It is precisely this material that has made its way from nature into the digital pop culture of the computer game Minecraft. But rhyolite can do much more than just shape game worlds.
Rhyolite is found mainly in areas with a particularly thick crust, e.g., in volcanic mountain ranges such as the Andes or the Rocky Mountains, as well as on volcanic islands such as Iceland or the Aeolian Islands, which are the namesakes for another term for rhyolite (liparite). In Germany, rhyolite occurs in the Paleozoic mountains, e.g., in the Harz, Odenwald, Thuringian Forest, Saxony, and the Saar-Nahe Basin.
The very viscous rhyolite lava leads to blockages in volcanic vents during eruptions and, at high gas pressure, to extremely dangerous explosive eruptions. The resulting pyroclastic flows are characteristic and led, among other things, to the destruction of Pompeii.
Due to its attractive reddish color, rhyolite can be used for facade design, paving, or as a building stone. A well-known German natural stone made of rhyolite is Löbejüner porphyry from the Halle/Saale area. For example, it adorns a staircase in the courtyard of Wartburg Castle, columns in Magdeburg Cathedral, and the exterior facades of modern buildings.
In addition, rhyolite can be processed into chippings for use in asphalt and concrete and, as “snowflake obsidian,” is a pretty gemstone. “From virtual obsidian blocks to real volcanic landscapes: rhyolite impressively demonstrates how exciting, relevant, and ubiquitous geosciences are,” according to the BDG.
The nomination as Rock of the Year 2026 is intended to raise public awareness of rhyolite in particular and to highlight the importance of geosciences and rocks in everyday life. The “Rock of the Year” has been selected by a specialist curatorial board of the BDG since 2007.
Over the course of a year, events and publications will inform the public about the selected rock, its geology, its function in the natural environment, its uses, and how it is extracted. Events related to this year’s Rock of the Year will be announced on the BDG website – www.geoberuf.de.
