Arizona's Petrified Forest

Two large sections (knee high) of a fossilised tree in the Petrified Forest in Arizona

(click onto all photos to see much larger, clearer images)

Arizona

A fine example of permineralized forest-remains can be found in north-eastern Arizona at the Petrified Forest National Park. The park is quite large and is actually made up of the Painted Desert as well as the Petrified Forest. Flat walking trails make it easy to enjoy. When I was there I was awed at what I saw. Colourful tree trunks lying on their sides in the desert, some whole but many broken into segments, as if they’d been turned to stone whilst standing and then broke into sections when they fell to the ground. These trees were permineralized, petrified – “turned to stone” by the mineral rich waters that at one time covered them.

My first view of the petrified trees, located at the edge of the Painted Desert.

We are told that the trees were toppled over by volcanic eruptions and were swept away by water, to very quickly become deposited in mud and covered with volcanic ash. Later, the area was covered by an ocean and the trees were covered with more silt. Some scientists ("old earth" believers - in opposition to the "young earth" believers in the scientific world) say 60 million years ago the ocean disappeared and flowing rivers appeared. These rivers gradually eroded through 2,600 feet of sediment depth to finally expose the petrified logs we see today. Below the desert’s surface are supposedly more layers of petrified trees. After being buried for millions of years, the logs, from the process of mineralization, were turned into colourful stone. To date, paleaontologists (paleontologists) have found 150 different species of fossilized plant life in Arizona’s Petrified Forest, as well as a variety of fossilized reptiles.

 

Here you can see the red-brown bits of tree trunk scattered in this part of the Painted Desert.

These mineral-rich fossils are made of jasper, quartz and other semi-precious minerals

A beautiful large specimen

This fossilised tree trunk has to be supported by a bridge of cement.

some perspective as to their size

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