Petrified wood can also be found in numerous places in South America, Europe, Australia, India, and China, among others. Mississippi, Washington, and Oregon are, as well. South Dakota, North Dakota, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah are all home to fantastic petrified forests. The majority of American petrified forests are located in the western part of the country, with the exception of the Mississippi Petrified Forest and the Gilboa Fossil Forest in New York. There are a number of different petrified forests located all over the globe, although the United States is home to far more than most countries, including the Petrified Forest National Park. Photo from Noel DeJesus/Unsplash Where to Find Petrified Wood On the other hand, iron can create shades of yellow, red, and brown. For instance, copper generally results in a green or bluish color. However, a wide range of different colors can also occur when other minerals are mixed in with the silicate. This leaves behind a clear or white colored stone. Typically, the organic material is replaced by a silicate material such as quartz. This allows you to see the tree rings and individual cells if you look with a microscope. This results in the piece of wood turning completely to stone while still keeping the original structure of the cell tissue. Over time, water flowing through the sediment and into the wood leaves behind mineral deposits in the plant’s cells.Įventually, the organic materials within the cells start to decay, leaving the mineral deposits to replace the organic material. Typically, the process begins when a tree is buried underneath ash or sediment, which preserves it and prevents decay from the lack of oxygen. However, many fossils are simply imprints of an animal left in sediment or ash, whereas fossilized wood forms when the organic material in the tree or vegetation is replaced by stone over time. Like other types of fossils, petrified wood forms underground over thousands of years. To understand exactly why this is, let’s take a look at how this unique type of fossilized wood is made. However, while both are technically fossilized remains, the two are actually quite different. Like animal fossils, petrified wood is an extremely cool relic of Earth’s ancient past.
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