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In geology, petrifaction or petrification (from Ancient Greek πέτρα (pétra) 'rock, stone') is the process by which organic material becomes a fossil through the replacement of the original material and the filling of the original pore spaces with minerals.
Petrification is the geological process in which organic material is turned to stone slowly over time. This process is involved in many forms of fossilization, and leaves behind many stunning and beautifully preserved fossils.
Unlike other plant 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 in water or volcanic ash.
Petrified wood is a fossil. It forms when plant material is buried by sediment and protected from decay due to oxygen and organisms. Then, groundwater rich in dissolved solids flows through the sediment, replacing the original plant material with silica, calcite, pyrite, or another inorganic material such as opal.
25 lut 2019 · When a fossil organism is subjected to mineral replacement, it is said to be petrified. For example, petrified wood may be replaced with chalcedony, or shells replaced with pyrite. This means that out of all fossils, only the creature itself could be fossilized by petrification. And not all fossil organisms are petrified.
14 cze 2024 · Petrified wood is classified as a fossil, with some samples dating to hundreds of millions of years ago. Essentially, the material is wood with its biological components replaced by minerals: mostly silica but sometimes fluorite, pyrite, or calcite.
26 paź 2023 · Petrified wood refers to a fossil formed when the organic components of woody plant material are gradually replaced by minerals, predominantly silica, via a process called permineralization. This process can only take place under the right set of circumstances. When an organism dies, it usually decomposes. Such is the circle of life.
