Rhyolite rock colour, pattern & texture

East of Kilmurrin Cove in County Waterford, Ireland, lies the village of Bunmahon with its roadside Geological Garden and the Copper Coast Geopark Centre. The Bunmahon Geological Garden is like an open-air museum with examples of the main rock types to be found in the area with explanatory sign boards along the way. It is great to be able to compare what has been seen on the local beaches with this named reference collection; it means that visitors can begin to put together a picture that explains the surrounding landscape through which they are travelling.

The close-up details so easily seen in these labelled rocks also helps with the identification of the rock types represented by the pebbles on the beaches. The rhyolite boulders in particular attracted my attention, providing clues to the wide range of textures and colours to be found in this local Ordovician volcanic rock. I loved the yellow to red streaks and abstract patterns in some of the boulders and the way that the surface of the massive stones has been decorated by small patches of dark grey lichen.