Description
From the Latin word petro meaning “rock” or “stone”, the name petrified wood translates to”wood turned to stone.” During the process of petrification, plant debris is covered with sediment material. This sediment protects the debris from decaying under environmental stressors such as oxygen, rain-water, animals, bacteria, etc. Over time, the build-up of sedimentary material begins to harden around the plant material. Eventually, ground water that is saturated in dissolved rock material flows through the sediment and the plant material is replaced with minerals such as silicate.
This process creates a fossilization of the wooden material at the microscopic level and mineral replacement resulting in the appearance of wood, tree rings, and other recognizable wood features known as petrified wood. The mineralized
