Jakarta –
Forests are known for their role in maintaining water balance and preventing floods. Its green and lush leaves provide coolness to anyone around it.
But did you know that there is a petrified forest phenomenon? Yes, this rare forest can be found in several places in the world. There, you can see thousands of petrified trees that are millions of years old!
How can a forest become a rock?
Quoting Geology Science, petrified trees are formed through a process called permineralization. The process begins when a tree falls and is buried in sediment, such as volcanic ash or river sediment.
Over time, organic material in trees is replaced with minerals such as silica, iron and manganese which dissolve in ground water and flow through sediment. These minerals fill the cells and cavities of trees, maintaining their structure and forming fossils.
The petrification of a tree takes a long time, even taking millions of years. Petrified trees can have a variety of colors based on the minerals that replace organic matter in the tree. For example, iron gives a reddish brown color, while manganese produces pink and purple colors.
Petrified Forest Becomes a Tourist Area
Petrified forests can be used as popular tourist attractions. Because, this phenomenon offers tourists the opportunity to see amazing natural wonders.
Tourists can explore the forest while admiring the wood of the petrified trees. This is a reminder of the extraordinary natural wonders on earth. Some of the most famous examples of petrified forests are Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park and Yellowstone National Park in the United States.
Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park has an area of 380 square km. The park is home to the most extensive and colorful petrified trees in the world. Apart from petrified forests, there are also ancient rivers, badlands, and volcanic formations.
Interestingly, despite its arid climate, Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park is home to 400 species of plants and animals. Some of them are rare and endangered species.
Meanwhile, citing the Institute Creation Research, Yellowstone has a petrified forest with good preservation conditions. According to the USGS, the petrified trees are large in size, even being one of the largest in the world.
Additionally, many of the petrified trees stood upright and were not lying on the ground. Several types of trees that can be found include cypress, pine, oak, magnolia, dogwood, and many more.
That is information about the petrified forest. The existence of forests provides scientists with valuable information about ancient ecosystems and climate patterns in ancient times. By studying petrified trees and their layers of sediment, researchers can learn about the climate and geography of the area when the trees were still alive.
Watch the video “The increasingly widespread appearance of forest fires in Texas”
(each/row)
2024-03-01 03:16:26
#Forest #turns #stone #millions #years
