The Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona is a dreamland filled with great expanses of color, strange formations and giant logs of quartz that shimmer in the sunlight. I felt bright eyed and delirious with enthusiasm. Dudes!
Over 200 million years ago, the logs washed into an ancient river system and were buried quick enough and deep enough by massive amounts of sediment and debris also carried in the water, that oxygen was cut off and decay slowed to a process that would now take centuries.
Minerals, including silica dissolved from volcanic ash, absorbed into the porous wood over hundreds and thousands of years crystallized within the cellular structure, replacing the organic material as it broke down over time. Sometimes crushing or decay left cracks in the logs. Here large jewel-like crystals of clear quartz, purple amethyst, yellow citrine, and smoky quartz formed.
Most of the petrified trees have been given the name Araucarioxylon arizonicum. Woodworthia and Schilderia are two other species occuring in small quantities in the park. Though only seven species of tree have been identified through petrified wood, over 200 species of plants have currently been identified from other Triassic fossils, such as leaves, pollen, and spores.
Another thing to note is the actual layout of the park, which I thought was superbly created and maintained. There are a lot of shorter trails that are paved, allowing for more accessibility which I thought was great. There are also a few longer trails that seek out vistas and other points of interest.
Fact: Part of the Grapes of Wrath, featuring Henry Fonda and John Carradine, was filmed in the Petrified Forest National Park.
Sending the park a big hug, SG
