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Petrified wood (from the Greek root "petro" meaning "rock" or "stone", literally "wood turned into stone") is a type of fossil: it consists of fossil wood where all the organic materials have been replaced with minerals (most often a silicate, such as quartz), while retaining the original structure of the wood. The petrifaction process occurs underground, when wood becomes buried under sediment and is initially preserved due to a lack of oxygen. Mineral-rich water flowing through the sediment deposits minerals in the plant's cells and as the plant's lignin and cellulose decay away, a stone mould forms in its place. Petrified wood can preserve the original structure of the wood in all its detail, down to the microscopic level. Structures such as tree rings and the various tissues are often observed features.It is a scene that is hard to imagine 225 million years later, when the land we see today is an arid desert scattered with wood that has since turned to stone. Petrified wood is real wood that has turned into rock composed of quartz crystals.One of the greatest concentrations of petrified wood in the world is found in the Petrified Forest National Park in northeast Arizona. Logs as long as 200 feet and 10 feet in diameter have been found in the park.What turned the wood to stone? It is used often in jewelry making and for other types of decorative artwork.
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