15.2" Triassic Petrified Wood (Araucaria) Round - Utah

Triassic Petrified Wood (Araucaria) Round - Utah #174938

This is a 15.2" round of petrified wood from a rather unusual location. It's Araucaria from the Triassic aged Chinle Formation, the same formation as the petrified forest in Arizona. But this slab comes from Garfield County, Utah. It comes out of an old collection of petrified wood that we recently purchased that has some rather unusual pieces.

The back side of this specimen is rough and uneven. Comes with a display stand.

What Is Petrified Wood

Petrified wood is the name given to wood that has been turned into stone (fossilized) through the process of permineralization. In this process, all of the organic matter becomes replaced by minerals, while much of the original structure, such as tree rings, is retained. For this to happen, the wood needs to be buried in an environment low in oxygen to prevent decomposition and with flowing, mineral-laden water, so minerals may replace structures. The coloration is caused by various minerals that present in that water during fossilization. For example, red colors are due to iron compounds, greens due to copper, and so on.