How old is petrified wood in texas

And you can find these wondrous relics of the past all throughout Texas and the United States including Deep South Texas. Petrified wood is a special type of fossil that forms when plant material is buried under sediment - like volcanic ash - and avoids decaying because of a lack of oxygen. Once the tree or plant material has been buried, water rich in minerals such as silicate, quartz, calcite, pyrite, and opal, begins to flow through it, slowly replacing the organic remains with stone in a process known as permineralization.

The minerals - over millions of years - eventually crystallize in the tree but help to retain the original structure of the stem tissue and preserve details of the bark and wood.

The organic materials will eventually decompose and the remaining fossil will essentially become a stone. Depending on the level of preservation, some fossils of petrified wood will look exactly like the original piece of wood but weigh much more.

Most, however, will begin to take on a distinctive look featuring exotic colors that can include copper, cobalt, pink, and on rare occasions, red and green hues. Luckily for scholars, historians, and amateur geologists alike, there are plenty of sites in the world where petrified wood can be found.

Whether in volcanic deposits, sedimentary rocks, mudflows, or coal seams, fossilized forests tell the story of a world without humans. Many of the petrified forests that exist in the world were created by volcanic explosions that left huge tracts of trees and land covered in thick layers of volcanic ash. One such site is the Calistoga Petrified Forest in California. Noted as one of the most impressive petrified forests in the world, this fascinating spot was created as a result of an especially violent volcanic explosion by Mt.

Helena that took place more than 3 million years ago. The eruption of the now extinct volcano was so powerful that it leveled the Redwood trees that were seven miles away.

The petrified forest was to remain hidden for millions of years before a man by the name of Charles Evans would discover the stone-hard logs on his pasture. But there is still plenty of mystery surrounding the site.

The team of scientists have found clear examples of the Goliad Formation, which was formed five million years ago. Directly below the Goliad Formation is the Catahoula Formation, which is estimated to be around 27 million years old. Intriguingly, there is no geologic record of the 20 million years of history that took place between the two eras.

To add to this puzzle, the 27 million-year-old Catahoula Formation has been found to be made of ash. The ash of only one eruption that left a meter thick layer of volcanic ash in the Rio Grande Valley. But where exactly was this volcano? This month the Pine Country Gem and Mineral Society will meet for the first time in their new clubhouse. The Joe and Violet Tonahill family donated an old store on Zavalla Street across from the courthouse annex. Club members have been cleaning, painting and repairing for more than nine months.

One way or another we are going to meet and enjoy our new space. The front room will be for meetings, the geology library and glass display cabinets. The club plans make the back into a classroom and shop. They will install equipment to cut slabs and polish stones. John Nash teaches a silversmithing class where club members learn to set stones into rings or pendants.

Coming up in club plans are a trip June to the diamond fields in Mount Ida and Murphrysboro in Arkansas. The club will hold their annual Gem and Mineral show Aug. It draws people from all over the country. Club members also offer a variety of displays and demonstrations.

Thank you!! I love to get off the beaten path for hidden gems! And thank you for your feedback. Petrified Wood in Glen Rose Stonemasons used petrified wood, found all over the area of Glen Rose, to build walls, fountains, garden walls, gas stations, and houses for local residents.

Petrified Wood Petrified Wood is not really wood but a fossil. Sharing is Caring!