Petrified Wood

Object/Artifact

-

Crater Rock Museum

Name/Title

Petrified Wood

Entry/Object ID

78.58.456

Description

Assemblage Zone: sedimentary Chemical Composition: Si O2 Crystal System: Hexagonal Description: Family: Taxodiaceae Genus: Taxodium Common Name: Bald Cypress (root) Age: Miocene Location data: Vantage, Washington Description: Polished sides show wood in cream, browns and some black. Greenish rock on in some areas. Numerous tear-shaped holes seen. Doug Foster describes this specimen as being a Bald Cypress whereas Delmar describes it as a Swamp Cypress. Size: 4.675"x 5.750"x 1.00" Type of Fossils Present: Plants Fracture: conchoidal Grain Size: Fine Hardness: 7 Quartz Luster: Glassy Occurrence: Silicified wood, which is the fossilization and/or opalization of organic woody matter by the deposition of SiO2 in a anaerobic environment to prevent decay. This means that the wood must somehow be buried in an oxygen free enviroment, possibly in the silt-laden river or the bottom of a lake or buried by volcanic ash or volcanic related mudflow. The organic material in the wood is then replaced by silica, other minerals determined the colors of the petrified wood. Pressure: Moderate Rock Color: Medium Rock Origin: Post-depositional Rock Type: Sedimentary Specific Gravity: 2.6 Surface Process: Not apparent Streak: white Temperature: Low Texture: microcrystalline Variety: Petrified wood is hydrous microcrystalline variety of quartz that can be defined in general term of chalcedony or opalization

Collection

Petrified Wood Collection

Acquisition

Accession

78.58

Source or Donor

Delmar Smith Petrified Wood Collection

Acquisition Method

Donation

Other Names and Numbers

Other Number

Other Number: 78.58.456

Dimensions

Width

5-3/4 in

Depth

1 in

Length

4-11/16 in

Dimension Notes

Dimension taken at widest points

Location

Location

Container

Left

Drawer

3rd Shelf

Shelf

Right

Cabinet

Case #110

Wall

West Wall

Building

Mentzer Hall - Petrified Wood Room

Category

Permanent