Andrew Snelling
"Instantly Petrified Wood"- that was the title of the article in the magazine Popular Science, in the October 1992 issue. The same was demonstrated by a study conducted at the High Performance Ceramics Laboratory of the University of Washington in Seattle (USA).
The researchers created a wood-ceramic composite that was 20 to 120 percent harder than regular wood but still looked like wood. The process of creating this mixture is surprisingly simple: the wood is impregnated with a solution containing a mixture of silicon and aluminum. The solution fills the pores in the wood, after which it is placed in an oven at a temperature of 44°C. According to the head of the research laboratory, Daniel Dobbs, during such experiments the wood is impregnated with a solution to a depth of approximately 5 mm. Moreover, deeper penetration into wood under pressure and more high temperature, produced a rock-hard composition of wood and ceramics that was very similar to petrified wood.
The original "recipe" for petrification
However, the first discovery of the "recipe" for petrifying wood belongs to Hamilton Hicks of Greenwich, Connecticut (USA), who received US Patent No. 4,612,050 on September 16, 1986. According to Hicks, his chemical "cocktail" of sodium silicate (known as " liquid glass"), natural spring or volcanic mineral water containing a high percentage of calcium, magnesium, manganese and other metal salts, and citric or malic acid can quickly turn wood into stone. But if you want to use this "recipe", you need to know that artificial petrification uses a special technology to mix these components in the correct proportions in order to obtain the "initial" solidified state.
Hicks wrote:
“When the solution is applied to the wood, it penetrates into it. Mineral water and sodium silicate are contained in the solution in relatively equal proportions, so that the solution is a liquid with a stable viscosity and is oxidized to the initial thickening condition, that is, the degree at which hardening occurs after penetration into the wood, and not before. Those. the solution can be stored and transported, but once it is applied to the wood, it hardens into it. When the solution content of the wood is high enough, the solution-impregnated wood takes on the characteristics of petrified wood. In this state, the tree can no longer be burned, even if exposed to it for a long time high humidity or wet. The observed petrification occurs quickly through drying of the wood.”
The patent states that the amount of acid in the solution turns out to play important role in the hardening phase within the cellular structure of the tree, although evaporation also plays a significant role in this process. The wood is thoroughly impregnated and, if necessary, even treated several times or immersed in the solution. And once dry, it clearly has all the characteristics of petrified wood, including its appearance.
Both Hicks and researchers from the University of Washington laboratory talk about the potential uses of such "instant" petrified wood:
Fire-resistant wooden structures, such as houses and stables (then horses wouldn't chew petrified wood either!).
Durable coverings, floors and furniture.
Wood with increased strength for use in construction.
Wood protected from insects, decay and salt water for building buildings, etc.
Fast natural petrification
The chemical components used to artificially petrify wood can be found in nature and within sedimentary rocks. In this case, is it possible for natural petrification to occur quickly under the influence of these processes? Certainly! Sigleo reported that the rate of silica deposition in wood blocks in alkaline springs located in Yellowstone National Park (USA) is between 0.1 and 4.0 mm per year.
Some startling reports have come from Australia. Pigott, writing for the Australian magazine Lapidary, recounts what he saw in southwest Queensland:
". . From Mrs. McMurray of Blackall I heard a story that shocked me and seems to have destroyed many ideas about the age of petrified wood. Mrs. McMurray has a piece of wood that has been turned to stone and has obvious ax marks on it. She says that the tree from which this piece was cut grew on her father's farm in Eutella, located near Rome, and was cut down by her father about 70 years ago. The tree was partially hidden underground, and when it was dug up, it was petrified. At the end of her story, Mrs. McMurray said that another resident of her town had a piece of a petrified fence post with holes made for the wire and with a piece of wire.
“Petrified wood thousands of years old? I wonder, or is that so?”
A few months later, Pierce added to these amazing stories about wood that quickly petrified in the soil of outback Queensland:
". . . Piggott writes about petrified wood with ax marks, and also about a petrified fence post."
“This kind of discovery, of course, occurs frequently. In the Hagenden district of North Queensland... Parkinsonia trees near one ranch were inundated and covered with sediment in a flood in 1918. The sediment was later washed away by a flood in 1950. Parts of the tree trunk turned into a nice colored stone. However most of The trunk and its branches have completely disappeared."
“At Zara Ranch, located about 48 km from Hughenden (North Queensland), I was repairing a fence. The old posts of this fence in some places passed through the black soil into the shaley clay. The acacia wood in this black soil was still perfect. Then it ended as smoothly as if it had been sawed off, and the several inches of the pillar in the shale-like clay were pure stone. Every ax mark could be clearly seen on this post and the tree retained its color as the day it was cut down. . . ."
“I know that in the dunes near Boulia [southwest Queensland], where the fences are often almost completely covered by moving sand, it is common for the sand to slide off after a few years, leaving the fence posts standing upright.”
From the other side of the world, word has been received of the Church of Santa Maria della Salute, built in 1630 in Venice, Italy, to celebrate the end of the plague. Since Venice is built on water-soaked clay and sand, the church was built on 180,000 wooden piles to reinforce its foundation. Even though the church is a massive stone structure, it has remained stable since its foundation. How did wooden piles remain strong for 360 years? They are petrified! Now the church stands on “stone” piles!
Experimental confirmation
Of course, none of these reports should surprise us, since the processes of petrification of wood have long been known, as well as the fact that this process can and has happened quickly. For example, Scurfield and Segnit reported that the wood petrification process can be considered as five stages:
- The entry of quartz in solution or in the form of a colloid into wood.
- Penetration of quartz into the cell walls of wood structure.
- Gradual disintegration of the cell walls, which at the same time are replaced by quartz, so that the wood's dimensional stability is maintained.
- Filling voids inside cell wall frames with quartz.
- Final hardening (lithification) as a result of drying.
Conclusion
Data that has been obtained by scientists in laboratories, as well as in God's natural laboratory, shows that in their respective chemical conditions Wood can quickly petrify through silicification, even at normal temperatures and pressures. The process of petrification of wood is now so well known and understood that, if desired, scientists can quickly petrify wood in their laboratories.
Unfortunately, most people continue to think and have this thinking imposed on them, that petrification of petrified wood buried in strata rocks, should have taken thousands, if not millions, of years. This thinking is clearly incorrect, since it has been demonstrated time and again that petrification of wood can occur, and occurs rapidly. Thus, the time interval for the formation of petrified wood within the geological record is completely consistent with the Biblical time scale of recent creation and the subsequent devastating Global Flood.
Experts consider petrified wood as a special substance that has strong energy. A small piece of petrified wood will teach a person to enjoy life and appreciate what you have. Magicians often use this material when performing various rituals. Some people claim that it can even prolong life.
Experts consider petrified wood as a special substance with strong energy
The death of trees is natural process. Over time, their remains turn into fossils. Wood is affected by various minerals, so over time it can change its color to red, yellow, blue and even purple. Instead of annual rings, amazing patterns are formed on the cut. They are visible both in longitudinal and transverse sections. Ancient petrified wood can be easily sanded and cut, despite the fact that this material is highly durable and dense.
There are several types of petrified wood:
- Saturated with opal, the structure is homogeneous and white.
- The combination of opal, chalcedony and iron hydroxide makes the structure mottled or banded with a brown tint.
- Black fossils contain opal or carbonate and always carbon. Visually they are very similar to black agate.
- The concentrically zoned fossil is rich in chalcedony and opals. They color the growth rings brown, beige or White color. As a result, the structure of the material becomes banded.
The only difference between fossilized trees found in different places on the planet is their amazing, unique coloring. Some deposits are recognized as nature reserves, so mining in them is prohibited.
Gallery: petrified wood (25 photos)
Petrified wood (video)
A little history
The ancient Romans believed that petrified wood could solve any problems. A person who carries a piece of this mineral with him gets rid of illusions, and therefore quickly finds a way out of any, even the most difficult situation. The stone tree relieves anger and melancholy, teaches you to enjoy life and welcome any changes. With its help, a person realizes what he needs from life and achieves his goals. In Assyria and Babylonia, such fossils were used as common ornamental material. They made it from:
- pendants;
- rings;
- countertops;
- candelabra;
- flowerpots.
A small piece of petrified wood will teach a person to enjoy life and appreciate what you have According to Navajo legend, petrified wood is claws huge monster, which hunted people. Before a long journey, the Indians sacrificed stone wood to their gods, hoping that this would protect them from evil spirits along the way. The Udmurts believed that the fossils were the broken fingers of the evil spirit Vumurt. They called petrified wood damn fingers and used its branches to treat various diseases. It also served as a talisman to protect the home from evil people.
Some view this material as a universal symbol of the universe. Amulets are made from it, which are a symbol of the global connection of times.
Mining petrified wood (video)
Medical and magical properties
Like other minerals, wood stone has numerous medicinal properties. People who wear jewelry made from such material are more resistant to various infections and can easily endure any stress. A piece of the mineral will help people suffering from arthritis. petrified wood- This great helper for those who live in their fantasies and suffer failures in the financial sphere. It helps cope with money problems and achieve many earthly blessings, but at the same time not become a stingy person.
Modern people buy amulets made of petrified wood to attract wealth and quickly achieve their goals. This stone helps to overcome any obstacles, teaches you to rejoice in achievements and enjoy all the blessings of life, but at the same time not get hung up on the material sphere.
The unique structure and excellent hardness make petrified wood in demand and popular. It looks great in combination with glass and metal. Slices big trees can be used to make furniture, sinks, various stands, etc. Such products fit perfectly into a modern interior. The debris is used to make jewelry, carvings, and souvenirs.
Attention, TODAY only!
Arizona "The Grand Canyon State" says a sign at Hoover Dam. But the Grand Canyon, as it turns out, is far from its only wealth! And you didn’t even have to travel far from Interstate 40 (which collects pieces of the legendary Route 66) to do this small discovery great natural miracle!
If you look at the map, you can see that in western Arizona Interstate 40 divides a small national park with the mysterious name “Petrified Forest”, that is, petrified forest. Its southern part is larger than the northern one and is located a little to the west. We decided to turn off from the town of Holbrook and drive through the park from south to north.
It was already dark when we turned, but even in the darkness it was clear that the surroundings were simply desert. Having covered about 35 km, we found ourselves at the locked gates of the park (it turned out that the entire territory is surrounded by a wire fence, and it is open until 7 pm), on one side a well-lit banner announced that there was an absolutely free campground right next to the souvenir shop .
When we opened our eyes, the gate was already open. In the light of day, little was added to the landscape that we saw at night, except for... logs fencing the campground. They turned out to be stone! Stone trees! They look absolutely identical to the living ones.
Petrified Forest is a national park, in which an annual pass works (it can be purchased at any national park for $80, it is valid for a year, and applies to all passengers of a 5-seater car or two motorcycles, including the one for whom this pass is issued).
The ranger at the checkpoint window asked if we were carrying any stones in the car - it was fun, but we had to lie, since we pick up some stones everywhere, they are hanging all over the car and it would be difficult to find them under the rubble so that show that these are simple cobblestones :) As usual, we were handed a map, wished to have fun, and time began to slowly creep into the distance. At the very first point - at the Rainbow Forest Museum, from which small walking routes depart, we suddenly began to understand where we were.
The fact is that the desert, which 10 minutes ago seemed featureless, 250 million years ago (is it possible to imagine such a time period?) was a floodplain crossed by streams and rivers. It was populated by the most different plants and animals. During powerful floods, large and small trees fell into the water, and accumulations of logs formed in different places, which were gradually covered with silt, clay, sand and volcanic ash. In this state, the wood almost did not rot, silicates dissolved in water (there was a volcano nearby) gradually “pickled” the logs and over time, organic tissues were replaced by silica.
This is how the wood turned to stone, while maintaining its original shape. For millions of years, petrified trees lay in the depths of the earth, time, pressure and chemical composition slowly turned them into semi-precious stones. It was only after the tectonic plates took their current position that the deposits of these logs were very close to the surface. Gradually, the hard rocks hiding them were destroyed and turned into softer ones, which in turn (right now!) are being destroyed by wind and water. The trees are back on the surface. Most of them are split, but some are preserved almost entirely (that is, sometimes all the fragments of the trunks are present).
Many remains of dinosaurs were also discovered here, although they lived after that same meteorite. And here, even later, people lived. Since the time of "BC" until the 14th century. What remained of them were the walls of the city, destroyed almost to the ground.
Incredibly rich place! All information about him is presented very clearly (with examples) in the museum, and it also contains bones, some of which were found in Petrified Forest. The most valuable ones have been replaced exact copies, and the originals were transported to California.
After getting acquainted with the prehistory (ho-hoo... pre-250 million years!), we left the cool little museum building and we were simply overwhelmed... Very unusual feeling. Sense of time. A seemingly perfect tree, which is actually an agate stone (you can touch it) is capable of triggering something in the brain and turning on an unknown side of the imagination. You may suddenly feel like a grain of sand, not in size, but in time. You touch the shape, and if the stone is heated in the sun, you can close your eyes and feel ordinary bark, twigs under your palm... just a tree, to put it simply. And millions of millions of years ago it was exactly that... and it’s as if you’re touching time itself!
Amazing! Especially for those who love dinosaurs or at least once in childhood dreamed of being among them :).
We wandered around under the scorching sun almost silently for the first time. Then the first wave of impressions subsided and then they began to look at everything around. Since the discovery of this place in modern times, the park has undergone a variety of adventures. It was private tourist site, it was partially looted and destroyed. Huge stone trunks were blown up to extract crystals from the core, and a 66 road was built through it. In the end, the residents of the district became concerned about the position of their treasure and got the government to assign a place to the desert national park. From that moment on, removing exhibits became a crime. Even today, people are bringing back pieces of petrified wood that their grandparents took from here. Nevertheless, the temptation to hold on to even a small piece is very great - we never felt any control. Oddly enough, we overcame the temptation and left the park with the same stones that we had - without replenishment :)
Petrified trees are found all over the world, but this particular place is unique not only because on a small patch of trees there is such great amount, and also a variety of colors! The reason for this is the volcano, which was breathing here at the same time as the trees, that is, millions of years ago. Each time it erupted, it covered the surrounding area with layers of ash. different color. Part of the park is even called “painted desert”, the compressed layers of sedimentary deposits are now exposed, the low hills look cheerful - horizontally multi-colored striped :)
But not only the hills here are “painted”, absolutely everything here is “painted” thanks to the same volcanic minerals. These include the cores of stone trees, flowers, and even lizards, which over time have been “repainted” to match their surroundings :)
The traces of people who lived in these places at different times were also interesting. Ruins ancient city- this is not an acquired taste, stones folded into a rectangular outline often look the same (although the very fact that the Pueblo Indians did not live in tippies or earthen huts, like some other tribes, but built something similar to a dormitory in which each member the tribe had its own “apartment” (already interesting). But the drawings... This is something special! North America rich in petroglyphs. Now it is almost impossible to find out their true purpose; the descendants of the creators were simply destroyed by the Europeans. There are many such drawings preserved in Petrified Forest. The only trick is that you can’t get close to them. The observation platforms are located at a considerable distance and are equipped with telescopes. It's a pity! But still interesting :)
This national park surprised us with another feature. There are no campgrounds here (there are almost no toilets, and they are only open for summer season), but here you can stay overnight for free and spend the night in wildlife, only by warning the rangers about this at one of the points where they are sitting. This can be done to watch or listen to coyotes, for example:) However, you need to have time to warn at least two hours before the park closes. We didn’t have time and continued our journey to the east, greatly impressed and slightly tired.
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There is a country on our planet called Myanmar (formerly Burma). And in it is the City of Flowers - Pyin Oo Lwin. Not far from it there is a beautiful park - . And there is one of the most unusual gardens in the world - a garden of petrified trees.
Why are trees called petrified? Because these are really stones. And they really were formed from trees.
An unusual transformation into Coal and Coal began Permian periods, 350-250 million years ago. In that distant antiquity, trees, through various forces of nature, found themselves under a thick layer of earth, sand, volcanic ash. It was so thick that the air did not reach the trees and the wood did not rot.
But the water, dissolving a bunch of all sorts of minerals along the way, got into all the fibers of the tree and the minerals settled there, crystallized, forming a durable stone. It’s quick to describe the process, but the action took place over millions of years.
Nowadays petrified trees are found all over the world, in all parts of the world. They are widely used in jewelry, souvenirs, in the form of decorative elements.
The colors of petrified wood depend on what minerals came with the water. For example, copper gives a greenish or bluish tint, iron oxide gives red, brown, yellow. Petrified trees are different colors and are extremely sought after by collectors.
Petrified trees in Kandawgyi Park
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Composition of petrified wood - silica SiO2 with impurities. Petrified wood represents either a complete pseudomorphosis disgrace on wood, and in this case it is often called woody opal, or it is completely replaced chalcedony. The most common are opal-chalcedony varieties with various combinations of both components.
Replacement of wood by crypto-crystalline is also observed. quartz(Arizona tree). Occurs siderite
petrified wood (Kamchatka). The common minor minerals in petrified wood are iron hydroxides, pyrite, carbonates - magnesium and phosphorus (about 1%), in addition, bluish veins of barite-celestine composition are noted. Petrified wood almost always contains carbonates- salt carbonic acid H2CO3 - (70-80%), carbonaceous matter (5-30%), iron oxides (up to 10%), apatite, quartz The layers of carbonaceous matter have a thickness of 0.1 to 3 mm; there are also single cutting longitudinal veins. The presence of certain impurities chemical elements, such as iron, manganese or copper in water during the petrification process gives the resulting petrified wood a particular color: Sometimes the color of the stone can even resemble landscape jasper.
- manganese— pink/orange
- manganese oxide – black/yellow
- carbon- black
- oxide gland- red, brown, yellow
- cobalt— green/blue
- chromium— green/blue
- copper— green/blue
Petrified wood is the remains of trees that grew during the Permian (285-250 million years ago) and Carboniferous (360-299 million years ago) periods. Although plant fossils are much less common than animal fossils, many specimens have survived to this day that provide a clear picture of the evolution of the plant kingdom.
Petrified wood specimen. Indonesia.
Size 3.2 cm x 2.5 cm x 2.3 cm
Issue No. 45 PETSTICK WOOD
Minerals - Treasures of the Earth. Publishing house DeAgostini
Based on textural features, they are distinguished spotted
, concentric-zonal
And unclear-zonal homogeneous
petrified wood of various colors. Combinations of concentrically zoned and spotted varieties in one specimen are not uncommon. Spotted petrified wood - the most common decorative variety- ornamental stone of opal-chalcedony composition with a significant admixture of iron hydroxides
. This three-component composition with a variable ratio of opal, chalcedony and iron hydroxides causes an uneven spotted color and, accordingly, a spotted and banded-spotted texture.
Produced at the Washington Laboratory artificial petrified wood . During the fossilization process, small cubes of pine were soaked in acid for two days and then immersed in a silica solution for another two. This product was then prepared at 1400 °C under argon for two hours. The result was silicon carbide, which preserved the complex cellular structure of wood. Then soaked in a tungsten solution, the resulting tungsten carbide was an artificial petrified wood.
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