Araucaria

Object/Artifact

-

Crater Rock Museum

Name/Title

Araucaria

Entry/Object ID

05.58.219

Description

Assemblage Zone: sedimentary Chemical Composition: Si O2 Crystal System: Hexagonal Description: Family: Araucariaceae Genus: Araucarioxylon Species: Arizonicum Common Name: Araucaria or Monkey Puzzle Age: Late Triassic Location data: Chinle Formation, Navajo Co., Arizona Description: Very large polished slab a true rainbow wood of arizona the face shows colors of white, orange, yellow, black, brown, grey, purple and pinkish tones, growth rings are apparent. The slab is a complete round Type of Fossils Present: Plants Fracture: conchoidal Grain Size: Fine Hardness: 7 Quartz Lithofacies: fluvial system Luster: Glassy Occurrence: Silicified wood, which is the fossilization and 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 related volcanic mudflow. The organic material in the wood is then replaced by silica (SiO2), other minerals determined its colors. Pressure: Low-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 woods here are hydrous microcrystalline variety of quartz that can be generally termed as chalcedony.

Collection

Petrified Wood Collection

Acquisition

Accession

05.58

Source or Donor

Petrified Wood Collection

Acquisition Method

Donation

Other Names and Numbers

Other Number

Other Number: 2005.58.219

Dimensions

Width

23-1/2 in

Depth

1 in

Length

19-1/2 in

Dimension Notes

Dimension taken at widest points

Location

Location

Shelf

bottom right, bottom right

Wall

right - east

Room

Wood room

Building

Mentzer Hall - Petrified Wood Room

Category

Permanent

Moved By

Catherine Boyd

Date

March 6, 2008

Location

Container

Left

Drawer

Bottom

Shelf

Right

Cabinet

Case #103

Wall

East Wall

Building

Mentzer Hall - Petrified Wood Room

Category

Permanent