Deciphering the difference between the two is not easy.Ī thread from 2012 that I discovered makes interesting reading and addresses the matter well. The terms fossilised wood and petrified wood are often used interchangeably. The origins of the suffix 'fied' is believed to come from the Latin 'facere' meaning 'to make'. It comes from the Latin 'petra' meaning 'rock' or 'stone'. The word 'petrified' means to convert or change something into stone. In English 'petrified' describes a situation where someone is paralysed by fear which causes them to freeze. The word 'fossil' comes from the Latin 'fossus' meaning 'dug up' or 'buried'. The word petrifaction comes from ancient Greek and means 'wood turned into stone'. The organic matter is always replaced by natural minerals. It's sometimes believed petrified wood is the original organic matter that has turned to stone but that's not the case. Patterns can occasionally be so precise the specific variety of tree can be identified. It's not unknown for ring patterns, bark and wood grain of the original tree to be clearly seen. In some cases petrified wood can be an almost exact replica of the original organic matter right down to microscopic levels. What is known for sure is the slower the process the more precise the replication. There is some research to suggest under the right conditions it may happen over a much shorter period. It's believed to take around 10,000 years at the very minimum from start to finish. The process of petrifaction is extremely slow. Black is carbon or pyrite and blue and purple come from manganese dioxide. Green comes from pure reduced iron also known as native iron and white is from quartz. Red or pink comes from hematite, shades of yellow, orange and brown comes from goethite. The colours of petrified wood is caused by the various minerals. When the water dried up the minerals crystallised which created an internal cast.Īlthough most of the original organic matter decomposed, the cell walls often remained intact and surrounded the newly formed crystals. Due to lack of oxygen they were protected and preserved.Īs groundwater rich in minerals such as quartz, calcite, pyrite and occasionally opal flowed over the organic matter it seeped into pores and cavities. This took place when fallen trees became buried under volcanic ash or sediment. Petrified wood formed through a geological process called petrifaction. The original cell structure however remained largely intact. Petrified wood is a type of fossil in which the organic material has been replaced by natural minerals. Petrified Wood Properties Facts and Photos Contents
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