Sopky v Geoparku
Homolka
The Natural Monument Homolka with a tiny area of 0.25 hectares is small, but interesting place south from the historic town of Bečov. Steep basalt dome (698 m ASL) near the village Chodov is a unique witness of Tertiary volcanic activity. Its top rises only about 12 meters above the surrounding terrain, but the view from is spectacular.
Homolka 100 years ago
Homolka („Little Hummock“) represents a root part of small volcano, which was exposed after the softer rock in the surroundings eroded. The massive basalt rock has a columnar jointing and contains green phenocrysts of olivine. Petrographically belongs to the basanite, which in addition to greenish yellow olivine contains clinopyroxene, plagioclase and foids in the matrix
Homolka (2012)
The eruption occurred at the contact between the Carlsbad Granite Massif and the amphibolite- eklogite series of Marienbad Metabazite Complex. The surrounding of the locality attracts mineral collectors since the 19th century. Their attention was focused on limited occurrences of nice Carlsbad twins (for more referring to the site Hory) and the sky blue tabular kyanite, accompanied by rutile and rarely grains of grey and ruby corundum.
Stony scree below Homolka
Thanks to the dry basic substrate, the rock host thermophilic vegetation similar to the one in Doupovské Hory Mts. However, the boulder rubble on the northern foot hosts hydrophilic plants of shady habitats.
