When workers carry out a blasting operation in the Wartgesberg quarry in 1969, they are quite astonished! A round chunk five meters in diameter came loose from the middle of the quarry face. A lava bomb? Even experts are not sure at first, because it is hard to imagine that the volcanic forces of the Eifel were enough to hurl 120 tons through the air.
A core drilling brings clarity: during the eruption of the Wartgesberg volcano, a chunk of rock is released from the crater wall and rolls into the vent. Similar to a snowball that gets bigger and bigger as it rolls down a slope, the lump rolls through magma that sticks to its surface. With the next eruption, the ball is ejected again, only to roll down again. This is repeated several more times until the ball is buried by the crater wall, only to reappear many thousands of years later.
Tip:
Under the motto Experiment - Touch - Try, the Strohn Volcano House offers an exciting interactive exhibition for all those who are interested in the fascinating world of volcanoes
