Abstract
Basalt and obsidian materials from Iceland were prepared and inspected in a scanning electron microscope for traces of transportation. The transported materials were partly sampled in natural environments, partly prepared in laboratory conditions. Basalts are found to be fairly resistant to wear in subaqueous environments but easily rounded under wind. Obsidians develop features similar to those of quartz, namely conchoidal fractures in glacial conditions, V-shaped indentations in water and upturned plates in eolian environments. Tephra grains, sampled on Surtsey seem unaffected by transportation. Probably, they were not transported appreciably after formation.
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