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| Don Taylor | profile | all galleries >> usa_travels >> Arizona/Utah Southwest Galleries >> Arizona Gallery >> Petrified Forest Arizona | tree view | thumbnails | slideshow |
| 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. |
 Crystal Forest |
 Crystal Forest |
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 Petrified Forest |
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 Crystal Forest |
 Petrified Forest |
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 Petrified Forest |
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