4950 x 3508 px | 41,9 x 29,7 cm | 16,5 x 11,7 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
aprile 2005
Ubicazione:
Curio Bay Petrified Forest Catlins South Island New Zealand
Altre informazioni:
Petrification is a natural process that occurs when all organic material in a tree dies and is replaced by a combination of quartz, copper, iron, and other minerals deposited by mud or water. Once the process has been finalized, petrified wood is no longer considered wood, and it becomes classified as a stone. In fact, petrified wood is Washington's official stone. All petrified forests are national monuments and are carefully protected. A petrified forest becomes such over the course of million of years. Some of the world's largest petrified forests are an estimated 100 million years old. Volcanic ash is sometimes a key step in the process of petrification. In fact, it's not uncommon for a petrified forest to have been covered by mud made out partially by volcanic ash at some time. Volcanic ash produces a chemical reaction in the wood, which in turn accelerates the process of petrification.
