A petrified tree in Petrified Forest National Park, AZ
About this photograph
- Creator
- Margery H. Freeman
- Date created
- Unknown
- Location
- Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
- License
- This photograph copyright ©2009. All Rights Reserved
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A petrified tree on its side in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. The remains of its ancient root ball and the texture of its bark have been preserved by the petrification process. The tree’s color is rich with traces of purple, red, blue, and green.
Petrified Forest National Park encompasses part of the Rainbow Forest and the Painted Desert. It consist of several “forests” of petrified wood. Around 200 million years ago, logs washed into a river and were buried quickly and deeply by sediment, which sealed them from oxygen and slowed their decay. Minerals replaced the log’s organic material and crystallized, forming amethyst, citrine, and smoky and clear quartz. The resulting logs are rainbow hues and glitter in the sun. Petrified Forest National Park is also home to many plant and animal fossils and is the site of much ongoing research.
