sliced and polished petrified wood.
Image details
Contributor:
B.A.E. Inc. / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
DT11E3File size:
64.6 MB (3.6 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
5438 x 4155 px | 46 x 35.2 cm | 18.1 x 13.9 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
3 February 2014More information:
sliced and polished petrified wood. Petrified wood (from the Greek root petro meaning "rock" or "stone"; literally "wood turned into stone") is the name given to a special type of fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation. It is the result of a tree or tree-like plants having completely transitioned to stone by the process of permineralization. All the organic materials have been replaced with minerals (mostly a silicate, such as quartz), while retaining the original structure of the stem tissue. Unlike other types of fossils which are typically impressions or compressions, petrified wood is a three-dimensional representation of the original organic material. The petrifaction process occurs underground, when wood becomes buried under sediment and is initially preserved due to a lack of oxygen which inhibits aerobic decomposition. Mineral-laden water flowing through the sediment deposits minerals in the plant's cells; as the plant's lignin and cellulose decay, a stone mould forms in its place. The organic matter needs to become petrified before it decomposes completely.[1] A forest where such material has petrified becomes known as a petrified forest.