Wood type stones with rings. Petrified trees discovered in Transbaikalia - Interesting things from the Internet - Article catalog - Biokan

The decorative effect of a stone is determined by its color, the pattern of annual rings, and the distribution of differently structured and differently colored areas. Varieties with small contrasting patterns are a material for inserts and small jewelry (beads, necklaces, bracelets, etc.). Samples with less pronounced zoning and with a large spotted or spotted-striped pattern are suitable for the manufacture of vases, tabletops, candlesticks, boxes, writing utensils, etc. The unique pattern and beauty of the stone are manifested both in transverse sections and in sections along the annual rings.

Petrified tree trunks, which are highly decorative, are considered an ornamental stone and have been known since the times of the civilization of Assyria, Babylon and Rome.

Today, products made from petrified wood are in great demand on the world market. Particularly interesting are polished plates or fragments of petrified wood with a bright ring pattern. In combination with other stones, metal and glass, petrified wood gives a unique decorative effect. It is used especially widely in the United States, due to the presence of large deposits on its territory. There, tabletops, vases, candelabra, mantelpieces and other interior items are made from its trunks. In Russia, this stone is used as an excellent material for the production of souvenirs, jewelry and so-called “cabinet” products: ashtrays, stands for pens, and also as spectacular collector’s items.

"Wooden" bench. Product of the Kazan company "Palisander", Tatarstan, Russia. Company website: www.kamvod.ru

** petrified wood enjoys such popularity all over the world that in many countries they dedicate stamps.

Petrified wood - description and properties

Petrified wood is an organogenic rock that was formed during past geological eras from the remains of trees that underwent metamorphic changes.

In the trees of the Carboniferous and Permian periods, which died under the sediment of volcanic products, in the absence of oxygen access, organic components were gradually replaced by mineral elements: often by opal and chalcedony, less often by siderites and quartz. The auxiliary components were carbonates, iron hydroxides and pyrites. Under the influence of these processes and time, ordinary wood turned into fossils of unique beauty, which, even after millions of years, retained their natural wood texture.

Physical properties petrified wood is similar to many rock-forming minerals. Fossils are characterized by high hardness and density, are easily processed due to the lack of brittleness, and have a waxy luster and conchoidal fracture. The crystals lack cleavage, as well as the effects of iridescence and pleochroism. Petrified wood does not react to acids, is not malleable and has no magnetic properties.

The structure of wood stone is opaque with predominant shades of brown, black, gray and red. Lines are indicated in white, but sometimes the line can be colored.

Varieties of petrified wood

Wood fossils are divided into varieties according to structural features and texture.

Homogeneous fossils. They have an almost uniform texture and color of the rings, divided into zones by lines. Wood species with an opal-rich structure are characterized by light, almost white colors.

Spotted fossils. Decorative variety tree species, the structure contains a combination of chalcedony and opal, supplemented with iron hydroxides. The ratio of these elements determines the zonal coloration of brown shades and the texture of the fossil: banded or spotted.

Jet-shaped petrified tree. The basis of black fossils is opal or carbonate with the obligatory presence of carbon. The texture is distinguished by clearly defined lines, which in some cases turn into a wavy pattern. Visually ebony resembles jet or black jade.

Concentrically zoned fossil. The rock alternates multi-colored stripes, saturated with opals or a combination of chalcedony with opals. Brown, beige and white colors alternate between the growth rings, giving the fossil a rich, banded texture.

Lens fossil. The structure is formed by filling the voids in the wood with a composition of iron hydroxides, chalcedony and opals. The result is a linear lens-like or spectacle-like texture.

Place of Birth

Petrified wood from Madagascar

Deposits of petrified wood are most often located in areas of volcanic eruptions. The largest deposit of beautiful and high-quality fossils is located in American state Arizona in the territory of the National Park called the “Petrified Forest”. Tree trunks of amazing colors up to 65 meters long and up to 3 meters in diameter were found in this area. Also in the USA, production is carried out in Oregon and Washington.

Significant deposits of petrified wood are found in India, Georgia, Syria, Iraq, Argentina, New Zealand, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Canada, Greece and the Czech Republic. In Russia, petrified trees were discovered in the Primorsky Territory, as well as in the territories of Kamchatka and Chukotka. In Ukraine, wood fossils are found in the Lviv region.

Many deposits in which large petrified trees with unique and amazing patterns were discovered are recognized as nature reserves or national parks, therefore no mining is carried out in them.

The magical properties of petrified wood

In ancient cultures, petrified wood was considered a symbol of the universe. Protective magical objects were made from it, which protected the house and its residents from theft, accidents, natural disasters, predatory animals, enemies and envious people. Figurines carved from wood fossils and placed in the house contributed to the harmonization of relationships, respect and mutual understanding between relatives.

Among the Slavs, amulets made of petrified wood with protective symbols acted as a kind of energy shield, reflecting negative messages in the form of damage, slander or the evil eye. Carvings of gods and beasts were used in rituals to evoke higher power, ask for luck in hunting or a good harvest.

In modern times, petrified wood is used to attract material wealth and achieve goals as quickly as possible. The stone teaches you to overcome obstacles with dignity, to perceive life-changing changes philosophically, to enjoy existing benefits, to enjoy accomplishments and pleasant little things, without getting hung up on the material sphere.

Medicinal properties

Petrified wood has a positive effect on the human body. It affects vitality and physical activity, relieves stress, restores emotional balance. Petrified wood is believed to have the ability to prolong life.

Plates cut from fossils are used by lithotherapists for application procedures for arthritis, rheumatoid pain and other joint diseases. Pieces of wood are applied to injured areas to relieve pain.

Petrified wood is used in the treatment of infectious diseases as aid, which enhances the effect medicines. Beads and necklaces made from it stabilize blood pressure and prevent the development of nervous disorders and depression.

Humanity has always been interested in various minerals, their properties and origin. Some of them were bred quite recently, but there are also those that came from ancient times, and it took hundreds and thousands of years for their formation. One such natural substance is petrified wood.

Description of the mineral

The growth and death of trees is by nature a natural process that has existed for millions of years. The remains of ancient trees, under the influence of chemical and physical processes, eventually turn into stone. In certain sedimentary rocks, wood does not completely dissolve, but over millions of years turns into a fossil.

Thanks to the influence of various minerals on wood, it often acquires amazing colors: red, pink, dark brown, yellow, blue and even blue and violet. Mostly in such fossils, growth rings are left on a cut of wood. Sometimes they disappear, and in their place amazing and magical patterns are formed. They are noticeable not only in a transverse, but also in a longitudinal section of a part of petrified wood. This mineral is very easy to cut, polish and other influences, despite its strength and density.

Usually the petrified wood is a modified opal, and sometimes its structure is completely replaced by chalcedony or quartz.

The magical properties of petrified wood

Like most minerals, ancient petrified wood has many medicinal properties. Owners of petrified wood always cope with stress easily and are not subject to the harmful effects of polluted environment. This substance can also strengthen a person’s immunity and make him more resistant to various infections, especially in winter time. People suffering from arthritis should always carry a piece of petrified wood, as it will help overcome this ailment and reduce pain. Thanks to these properties, petrified wood can significantly prolong the life of its owner.

Petrified wood is famous for its magical properties, and all jewelry made from it are considered powerful amulets. They help their owners to positively perceive all changes in life, turning them in a favorable and beneficial direction. Also, petrified wood perfectly helps to successfully solve financial matters and strive to achieve earthly goods. At the same time, its owners will never become stingy or vain. If crafts made from petrified wood are placed in the house, it will help quickly resolve conflict situations in the family and strengthen family ties. The Slavs used amulets made from this mineral as powerful protection against rapists, murderers and thieves.

Belonging to the zodiac sign

It is known that each zodiac sign has its own mineral, which suits it best in character and is a reliable amulet. Petrified wood is best suited for Gemini. It helps them quickly solve material problems, become more practical and realistic. It is known that this substance is necessary for those people who tend to dream a lot and have their head in the clouds, and their any attempts to bring what they want to life always end in failure.

Methods and areas of application

Petrified wood is often used in medicine. Always carrying a small piece of this mineral with you is recommended for people with a weak psyche, frequent emotional breakdowns, and sudden changes in blood pressure. To do this, just put it in your pocket or bag. For arthritis, petrified wood is applied to painful areas for several hours.

This mineral is also used as decoration or for making various crafts. It is very easy to process petrified wood, so you can cut any sculpture from it that will decorate your home interior.

These are the trunks and branches of prehistoric trees, all organic substances in which over millions of years were gradually replaced by quartz, opal, chalcedony and other minerals. Sometimes, during the process of petrification, ancient wood retained its pattern and structural elements so well that even growth rings can be seen in it.

Looking at these fossils, preserving the memory of prehistoric flora and fauna, one can imagine that these trees were once alive, like the birches or maples rustling with leaves outside our window. Meanwhile, dinosaurs once roamed among these now petrified trees: some fossilized wood samples are more than 250 million years old.

The climate on our planet is constantly changing. Thus, with the onset of deserts, ancient relict forests were gradually covered with quartz sand. It did not allow oxygen to pass through and thereby prevented natural process rotting cellulose and other organic matter. Wood was gradually replaced by silica, preserving the shape and texture of trunks and branches in the smallest detail.

Much less common is marbled wood, the organic matter of which is replaced by calcite, siderite or dolomite. Sometimes replacement minerals are: pyrite, jet, gypsum, barite and volkonskoite. The color of petrified wood can be yellow, gray, pink, red-brown, and sometimes even blue and purple. It is opaque, but may show through at the edges.

Often, wood that has turned into stone over time is also called xylopal (Greek "xilos" - tree; Sanskrit "fell" - gem). Other synonymous names: dendrolite, arboreal, fossil wood, cardiolite, arboreal stone, arboreal, litoxylite.

Petrified wood is found throughout the world in sedimentary and volcanic deposits of the Permian and Carboniferous period. Some prehistoric forests occupied a gigantic area and consisted of trees of gigantic size.

The most famous deposit is the "Stone Forest", located in Arizona (USA). Among the huge variety of fossils here are huge trunks of araucaria. These giant trees grew to a height of ninety meters. Scientists believe that they were brought here by water, and then gradually became covered with dense silt, which helped preserve the structure of the trees during the process of their mineralization.

In 1962, this was one of the most the most unique places on the planet was declared a national park. Thus, the government protected it from complete plunder by numerous tourists. Now visitors are strictly forbidden to take out even a tiny particle of petrified wood from here.
In Patagonia, perfectly preserved fossilized pine cones are often found. Their popularity among collectors is so great that their collection, sale and export are prohibited by law by the Argentine government. Other large deposits Petrified wood is located in Canada (Alberta), Egypt and many other countries.

In Russia, this is the Novgorod region, where the replacement mineral is pyrite. Petrified wood with crystals is found in the Vologda region. There are deposits in Perm region, in the coal basins of the Urals, in the Krasnoyarsk Territory (Podkamennaya Tunguska), in Yakutia, Amur region, in Kamchatka and other Far Eastern regions.

For mineralogists, petrified wood is of interest as a pseudomorph of chalcedony along tree trunks. Paleontologists are interested not only in the species of trees that lived in ancient times. Knots, annual rings, bark, as well as canals and insect nests preserved in trunks are a source of invaluable information for scientists.

Petrified wood jewelry was worn back in Ancient Rome and the ancient states of Mesopotamia. Polished petrified wood looks very impressive, so it is often used not only as a decorative and ornamental material, but also as hemispherical (cabochon) inserts into jewelry. Items such as ashtrays, jewelry boxes or paperweights with clearly visible growth rings look great. Large trunks are used to make cuts for tabletops.

Preservation of the texture and details of the wood structure, a variety of colors and good polishability make petrified wood sought-after jewelry raw materials. What also makes xylopal products attractive is the unique originality of its shapes and, of course, its very respectable age, estimated at many millions of years.

In some ancient cultures, a tree was considered as one of the symbols of the universe. To this day, many people consider his fossilized pieces to be carriers of this ancient symbolism. It is believed that petrified wood amulets help a person to resist stress, and thereby prolong his life. Probably this belief is facilitated by the image of a strong tree with powerful roots in the earth, capable of withstanding any elements and even time itself.

Scientists believe that most layers of sediment on the Earth's surface were deposited slowly over millions of years. Most of Such layers contain fossilized remains of plants and animals. But there are problematic facts. There are many examples on Earth where fossils pass vertically through numerous layers of sedimentary rocks - hence their name "polystrate fossils" (from poly - many, strata - layers).

For example, in the Joggins coalfield (Nova Scotia, Canada), you can find many vertical trees scattered in layers with a total thickness of 750 meters. These petrified trees can be easily seen.
Beautifully preserved, they cut through layers believed to have been deposited over millions of years. The fact is that the trees had to be buried faster than they would rot. In other words, there is NO WAY these layers could have been deposited slowly over millions of years.

The trees would have decayed long before this and thus would not have petrified. Derek Adger, emeritus professor of geology at University College, Swansea, trained in the spirit of strict Lyellian uniformitarianism, describes these fossils as follows: “The total thickness of the British Carboniferous strata is approximately 1000 m, and assuming that they were deposited over a period of 10 million years, and assuming a constant rate of formation of sedimentary rocks, then the burial of a tree 10 m high took place over 100,000 years, which is really just ridiculous.”

How long does it take for layers of sedimentary rock to form? Check out this ten-meter-tall petrified tree, one of hundreds discovered in the coal mines of Cookeville, Tennessee, USA. This tree starts in one layer of coal, goes up through numerous layers, and finally ends in another layer of coal. Think about this: what would happen to top part tree over the thousands of years required (according to evolution) to form the sedimentary layers and strata of the angle? Obviously, the formation of sedimentary layers and coal seams had to be catastrophic (rapid) to bury the tree in an upright position before it rotted and fell. Such " standing trees» are found in numerous places on earth and on different levels. Despite the evidence, long periods of time (necessary for evolution) are squeezed between the layers, for which there is no evidence.

“On the other hand, if a tree 10 m high was buried for 10 years, this would mean that 1,000 km thick layers would be deposited in a million years, or 10,000 km in 10 million years. This is also ridiculous and we have no choice but to conclude that the deposition of sedimentary rocks at times occurred very quickly, and there were times when the process of deposition was interrupted and stopped for some time, despite the fact that the strata appear continuous and homogeneous.

Here are some more examples of what should not exist in the world modern science(petrified tree trunks):

Geopark in Greece: Petrified Forest of Lesvos

On the banks of the Yellowstone River

Hungarian scientists have reported an interesting discovery: the remains of a small forest dating back 8 million years have been discovered in the northeast of the country. According to Alfred Dulai, a geologist at the Hungarian Natural History Museum (Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum), what is unusual is that parts of most of the trees were preserved in an upright position. The find is a kind of stump, 4 to 6 meters high and 1.5 meters wide. up to 3 meters. They are parts of swamp cypresses, preserved from ancient times in open deposits of brown coal.

Age as usual - estimated by eye, otherwise how to explain this fact. The older you are, the more believable...

There are a lot of stone chocks like this in Arizona. They were not cut by ancient woodcutters, no. The trunk is fragile - it split itself:

Now explain why this ancient tree did not rot, but turned to stone? Apparently it lay under a layer of sand and silt without access to oxygen.

Also, fossilized remains of trees are found in Khakassia and on Taimyr .

An unusual “stone forest” was found in the Uchkuduk region of the Dzharakuduk tract (Mingbulak Basin).

Ancient trees, under the influence of atmospheric conditions, mineralized and turned into real stones. Until now, such a phenomenon has occurred only in two places in the world - in Bulgaria and Chile. This is a truly unique natural monument.
In the Navoi region, scientists have discovered three such sites with petrified trunks. According to them, the deposits may be more than 9 million years old. When studying the stones, imprints of ancient teeth were found on them. sea ​​creatures. Following the analysis, scientists came to the conclusion that the territory of Kyzylkum many thousands of years ago was the bottom of the ocean. The tracks belong to stingrays, sharks, crocodiles, and pre-existing dinosaurs.

On an area of ​​30 square kilometers, among stone piles, cuts, and coastal sea formations, stone structures resembling the sound pipes of a Gothic organ are visible. These are petrified trunks of an ancient forest.

As you can see, the stone forest is not somewhere below, in the valley, but on the hillside

Views around

The tree trunks did not rot, but turned to stone. This means that the mineralization process took place in the absence of oxygen. As scientists write - under water. But how could the ancient forest sink into the waters of the sea?

Official opinion: many millions of years ago, along the shores of warm sea bays and lakes, “ antediluvian forests"…. Later they were covered with layers of sea and river sediments. The wood became mineralized and petrified, but retained its original appearance and structure. In the oldest layers of soil exposed in the steep slopes of gorges near Dzharakuduk, dinosaur bones are also found.”

But no ancient soils are visible here.

There were once dense thickets

Upon careful examination, remains of wood were found in the internal cavity of the tubular body, carbon analysis of which confirmed its ancient age. This circumstance made it possible to assume that the plant trunks secreted some kind of “sticky”, sticky liquid, onto which grains of sand actively stuck, creating the shape of “pseudo-trunks”.

When these formations are split open, leaf imprints are found inside with a fairly high degree of preservation, which confirms the biogenic origin of the “stone” forest. But this is not the only version in an endless series of arguments and hypotheses.

Sections of the soil deposits of the tract are literally stuffed with the remains of organisms, among which fragments of the skeletons of vertebrates and reptiles predominate. The collection of finds was supplemented by many amphibian teeth found here. Complex fossil layers consist of layers of clay, freshwater and marine sediments, sandstones and other rocks. All this indicates that the territory of the Kyzylkum was once part of the world ocean.

Fossils up close

Hollow wood structure of ancient trees

Many fossil remains are found in clay soil

Someone tried to collect something from them

Sources
[ Click to read ]

Gratitude izofatov for pointing me to this material

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In the 59th quarter of the Naleykinsky forestry, which is northwest of the village of Bayevka, Kuzovatovsky district (Simbirsk-Ulyanovsk), pieces of fossil wood have been preserved in a pine-birch forest. This is part of the trunk of a plant that existed in this place 30 million years ago, it is often called the “Bay tree”.

Remains of petrified wood.
With. Baevka. 05/10/2008.

The Baev tree was first discovered in 1886 by Alexei Pavlov, a famous geologist, professor at Moscow University, founder of the Moscow scientific school. According to Pavlov, there were nine large units. Near them on the ground one could find small splinters - pieces of wood. As befits slivers, they had growth rings, which indicated the growth of the trunk in width.

Only on my palm are slivers of stone, and they belonged to petrified wood, as the locals call it, “stone pine.” Such wood chips have clearly visible growth rings, which creates a striking resemblance to modern wood.

During the expedition to the Baevsky tree, we counted eight fragments of the former trunk. Four of them rose quite clearly above the surface of the earth, others were completely covered with earth and could only be probed with a shovel. All pieces of the trunk were, to one degree or another, covered with fallen leaves, covered with mosses, lichens, and even overgrown with herbs.
The largest fragment of the trunk is quite impressive size: reached 160 centimeters in diameter. On 10 centimeters of this trunk we counted 30 growth rings, the width of the growth ring was 3 millimeters, which means that during its life the tree stood on the ground for about 250 years. The total length of the surviving parts of the trunk was 20 meters. According to calculations, the weight of all fossils is substantial - more than 40 tons. This is a real natural miracle.

The correct botanical name for the ancient coniferous tree- "cypress". In 1994, it was included in the list of paleobotanical monuments of all-Russian significance.
The Baevsky tree is an authentic document about the ancient state of vegetation of the Volga Upland at the beginning of Tertiary time - about 30 million years ago. This is evidence of warm subtropical climatic conditions of that time on the territory of our region. Scientists, including Professor Blagoveshchensky, believe that this cypress grew on one of the islands of the archipelago in the warm sea of ​​that time. The fall of the ancient giant, and its height reached about 50-60 meters, probably an old tree at that time, occurred during a strong storm, which was facilitated by the surface root system. The fallen tree was carried marine sediments, in particular by sands, in the thickness of which its mineralization - petrification - occurred. Without access to oxygen, the wood became saturated with mineralized waters, as a result of which the organic molecules of the cell membranes were replaced by silica molecules, and the wood turned into stone.

In 1968, with the help of students from the Faculty of Geography of the Pedagogical Institute, the ancient cypress tree was fenced off as a natural monument, and a sign was erected indicating the need for its protection. Unfortunately, during the last expedition we did not see it, and the fence was lost in many places and requires repair.
See the Baevsky cypress in spring forest helped local Vladimir Polubesov, without whose help our meeting would hardly have taken place. In turn, along the way, I considered other evidence of the antiquity of this pine-birch forest, which Professor Blagoveshchensky spoke about at one time. These are club mosses, lingonberries, blueberries and various species of the wintergreen family. Not every forest can boast such a wealth of such plants.
The need for effective protection of the bay tree from destruction has long been ripe, since the petrified trunk, being on the surface, like any exposed stone, is subject to weathering and destruction. It was repeatedly suggested that the bai tree should be moved to one of the museums, placed in glass gallery. But time is running, but no one takes practical action.

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Prikamye. Location near the village. Sentyak. The structure of the wood has been preserved.

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But this furniture is made from stone wood: