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Sequoia affinis Lesquereux, 1876 - fossil giant redwood tree trunk in the Eocene of Colorado, USA.
"Petrified wood" refers to fossil wood that, while buried in sediments, had its microscopic porosity filled with minerals as groundwater percolated through. This fossilization process is technically known as permineralization ("petrified" is a horrible term - never use it in a scientific context). Permineralization can also occur with fossil bones. The most common permineralization mineral is quartz (~pure silica - SiO2), which is the most common mineral in the Earth's crust.
The permineralized fossil tree trunk seen here is an extinct giant redwood. Redwoods and sequoias are famous giant trees living in modern California. This Colorado fossil demonstrates that they used to live in the Rocky Mountains, when the climate was different.
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From park signage:
Stumps of Stone
These fossilized tree stumps are remnants of an ancient catastrophe. In the Late Eocene Epoch, about 34 million yeas ago, the Florissant valley was buried by eruptions from a cluster of volcanoes known as the Guffey Volcanic Center. Huge volcanic mudflows spread into this forested valley with great speed, destroying all but the largest trees.
The bases of giant redwoods were buried in place in 15 feet of mud. The trees died and the unburied portions fell over and rotted away. Casings of volcanic mud created the special conditions that turned the buried stumps into stone.
Wood Becomes Rock
Entombed in silica-rich volcanic mud, these ancient redwood stumps slowly turned to stone through a process called permineralization. Dissolved minerals seeped into the wood, filling in the microscopic spaces within cells. After the solution precipitated silica within the cells of the wood, a stone replica remained. This preserved both the general outer appearance of the tree as well as its inner cellular structure.
Redwoods in Colorado?
The Rocky Mountain region was once much warmer. Thirty-four million years ago, summers were wet and the winters mild. The Florissant region was forested with towering redwoods, cedars, pines, mixed hardwoods, and ferns. Streams flowed through the valley. Insects, birds, mammals, and fish all thrived in this environment.
Fossil leaves serve as ancient thermometers for reading the temperature of the past. By comparing fossil plants with modern vegetation, scientists estimate that the mean annual temperature at Florissant during the Late Eocene was about 56 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius), similar to San Francisco today.
Climate Signals
The lobed, toothed leaf of the fossil maple Acer florissantii indicates warm-temperate growing conditions. The smooth-edged Cape mahogany, Trichilia florissantii, with its extended "drip tip", is a leaf design common to wetter, subtropical climates.
These warmer climates no longer exist at Florissant, where extreme winter temperatures can reach -35 degrees Fahrenheit (-37 degrees Celsius). As the climate changed, the plants of the Eocene then adapted, became extinct, or dispersed to other parts of the Earth.
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Classification: Plantae, Spermatophyta, Pinophyta, Pinopsida, Cupressales, Cupressaceae
Stratigraphy: Florissant Formation, Upper Eocene
Locality: Petrified Forest Loop Trail, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, central Colorado, USA
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Info. at:
www.nps.gov/flfo/learn/nature/sequoia-affinis.htm
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The big block c6 transmission from the 4x4 van sitting in the trunk of the honda civic with the rear seats folded down. It goes to the transmission shop in the morning to be rebuilt
Families at the Fort McNair portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall participated in a trunk-or-treat Oct. 31, 2014. Trunk-or-treat offered an alternative to traditional trick-or-treating at Fort McNair. Instead of going door-to-door, trick-or-treaters received treats from service members in Halloween costumes staged at Halloween-decorated vehicles. (Photo courtesy of Senior Master Sgt. Sigrid Carrero-Perez)
Erayden Tuepker, 9, fishes for candy during Trunk or Treat at the Arctic Oasis at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Oct. 28, 2016. JBER Halloween aficionados decorated their vehicles and handed out candy during Trunk or Treat as attendees voted on the best-decorated trunk. Trick-or-treaters also participated in indoor Halloween games and activities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Javier Alvarez)
Different kind of palm tree than the other picture I have. These trunks were beautiful. Reminded me of pottery lines.
Spooktacular Trunk or Treat celebration at USAG Benelux-Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 28, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Libby Weiler, USAG Benelux Public Affairs)
I liked the texture of this trunk and the way it reflected the light. Twiddled around a bit in the editor so definitely not SOOC! Raining this evening so had to keep dodging for cover but managed a few half decent shots. Have a great weekend everyone.
Memorial United Methodist Church held its annual Halloween Carnival and Trunk or Treat on October 26, 2014.
Families at the Fort McNair portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall participated in a trunk-or-treat Oct. 31, 2014. Trunk-or-treat offered an alternative to traditional trick-or-treating at Fort McNair. Instead of going door-to-door, trick-or-treaters received treats from service members in Halloween costumes staged at Halloween-decorated vehicles. (Photo courtesy of Senior Master Sgt. Sigrid Carrero-Perez)