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Petrified wood (from Ancient Greek πέτρα meaning 'rock' or 'stone'; literally 'wood turned into stone'), is the name given to a special type of fossilized wood, the fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation.
Petrified wood is a fossil. It forms when plant material is buried by sediment and protected from decay due to oxygen and organisms. Then, groundwater rich in dissolved solids flows through the sediment, replacing the original plant material with silica, calcite, pyrite, or another inorganic material such as opal.
This is the ultimate guide to petrified wood. Learn what it is, how long it takes to make and how old petrified wood is. Plus facts about...
Here's the science behind petrified wood, including what it is, how long it takes to form and whether it's useful in the research world.
Petrified wood found in the park and the surrounding region is made up of almost solid quartz. Each piece is like a giant crystal, often sparkling in the sunlight as if covered by glitter. The rainbow of colors is produced by impurities in the quartz, such as iron, carbon, and manganese.
Petrified wood, fossil formed by the invasion of minerals into cavities between and within cells of natural wood, usually by silica (silicon dioxide, SiO2) or calcite (calcium carbonate, CaCO3). The petrified forests of the western United States are silicified wood, the tree tissues having been.
Petrified wood refers to a fossil formed when the organic components of woody plant material are gradually replaced by minerals, predominantly silica, via a process called permineralization. This process can only take place under the right set of circumstances.
Petrified wood is classified as a fossil, with some samples dating to hundreds of millions of years ago. Essentially, the material is wood with its biological components replaced by minerals: mostly silica but sometimes fluorite, pyrite, or calcite.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve been asked quite a few questions about the different types of Petrified Wood, how to identify, how to value, and where can rockhounds collect higher-quality varieties.
Petrified wood is not just a beautiful and collectible fossil; it also holds significant scientific value. By studying petrified wood, scientists can learn about the types of trees that existed millions of years ago, the climates in which they grew, and the processes that led to their preservation.