New Books Network Vojta Hybl, "Rocks: A Guide to the Stones Around Us and the Stories They Tell" (Frances Lincoln, 2026)
Mar 30, 2026
Vojta Hybl, geologist and science illustrator who makes geology approachable through art. He walks through how to identify over 100 rock types and why we are 'rock blind'. Short practical ID tips like vinegar tests, plus surprising stories on carbonatite, umber, pseudotachylite and anthropic rocks. A lively take on seeing everyday stones as clues to deep Earth processes.
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Umber Comes From Deep Sea Black Smokers
- Umber pigment forms from deep-sea hydrothermal deposits near black smokers and was among the first human pigments.
- Hot fluids deposit mineral-rich sediments on the seafloor that later uplift and become pigment-bearing umber deposits.
Puddingstone Is Just Conglomerate
- Puddingstone is a common name for conglomerate made of rounded pebbles that resemble fruit in a Christmas pudding.
- If clasts are angular it becomes breccia; rounding defines conglomerate's playful pudding nickname.
Oolite Forms In Shallow Agitated Seas
- Oolite forms where shallow, agitated seas with high dissolved carbonate coat grains in concentric layers, producing 'egg-like' ooids.
- The Greek root oion (egg) reflects tiny spherical ooids that form under strong wave action.
