Wood Petrifaction: A New View of Permineralization and Replacement

Mustoe, George

doi:10.3390/geosciences7040119

Cited by 56 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…This opal A → opal CT → quartz transformation sequence is well-documented for the diagenesis of siliceous marine sediments and for siliceous hot spring sinter, but evidence from fossil wood is less clear. This sequence is certainly a possibility for some fossil wood occurrences, but many investigations [24][25][26][27][28] have shown that the fossilization of wood may involve multiple episodes of mineralization, and that quartz may occur as a primary precipitate, akin to the formation of crystalline quartz in veins and geodes.…”

Section: Mineralogymentioning

confidence: 99%

A Silicified Carboniferous Lycopsid Forest in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, USA

Viney

Hickey²,

Mustoe

2019

Geosciences

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The 1930 discovery of Carboniferous lycopsid fossils in south central Colorado resulted in the naming of a new species of scale tree, Lepidodendron johnsonii (=Lepidophloios johnsonii (Arnold) DiMichele). Cellular structures of L. johnsonii axes and periderm are preserved in silica—an unusual mode of fossil preservation for Pennsylvanian lycopsid plant remains. The early reports on the Trout Creek lycopsid fossils focused on taxonomic and paleobotanical aspects. Our 2019 reinvestigation of the locality produced many new specimens and a wealth of new data from a variety of analytical methods. Optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive electron spectroscopy, determination of specific gravity, and Loss on Ignition provide details of mineralization. Cell walls are preserved with very small fine quartz particles, and cell lumina are filled with microcrystalline quartz. Some cell exteriors are encrusted with euhedral quartz crystals. These multiple forms of quartz are evidence that petrifaction involved several episodes of silicification. The dark color of the fossil wood and siliceous matrix appears to be caused by traces of dispersed carbon, but 500 °C Loss on Ignition reveals that the fossil wood preserves only very small amounts of the original organic matter.

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Section: Mineralogymentioning

confidence: 99%

A Silicified Carboniferous Lycopsid Forest in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, USA

Viney

Hickey²,

Mustoe

2019

Geosciences

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“…During diagenesis, silica minerals follow an opal-A, opal-CT/C microcrystalline quartz transformation [3]. The process of silification of rocks, silica stabilization in the context of the transition of opal into quartz, and the metasomatic silification of different rocks have all been discussed in the literature [4][5][6], while latest studies relate mainly to fossilized trees [7][8][9][10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silification of the Mesozoic Rocks Accompanying the Bełchatów Lignite Deposit, Central Poland

Pękała

2020

Geosciences

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Fieldwork and exploratory study of Poland’s Bełchatów lignite deposit reveals that the Jurassic and Cretaceous sediments with overlying Neogene clays include rocks of greater hardness than the primary composition would indicate. Mineralogical and petrographic tests show the impact of secondary mineralization involving silification in particular. Transitional and carbonate rocks observed microscopically and subjected to X-ray examination show numerous polymorphic forms of silica replacing carbonate minerals. Opal types A and CT, chalcedony, quartz and microcrystalline quartz are all present. The process of silification observed is a selective and multistage one, with selective activity entailing the displacement and replacement of carbonates from older rocks, mainly Cretaceous opoka-rocks and marls, and Jurassic limestones. The opal fills tectonic fractures and has cemented cracked grains. Cathodoluminescence analysis identifies several generations of silica. The rocks have undergone advanced diagenesis as is evidenced by the recorded metasomatic reactions between minerals. They can further be assumed to be in the locomorphic stage. Such observations are relevant to efforts to reconstruct the origin of the rock matrix, and to the study of its textural features. In addition, the tests run on rocks of the lignite series would seem to be of significant value in identifying and developing associated rocks.

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“…Replacement occurs when the original organic materials are replicated by inorganic minerals. Recently, Mustoe (2017) argued that these two processes are not independent, but, rather occur contemporaneously. If the alternative material is a silica (silicon dioxide), it is specifically called "silicification."…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A characterization of petrified and mummified wood from an Eocene deposit in Mississippi

Lee¹,

Mun²,

Horstemeyer³

et al. 2018

PICC

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This study experimentally investigates pieces of fossilized wood that include both mummified and petrified portions within the same pieces collected from the Red Hills Lignite Mine in Mississippi, USA. To the authors' knowledge, having petrified and mummified regions within the same piece of wood has not been previously reported. Our study analyzes the chemical compositions, microstructures, and nanohardness to characterize the fossilized wood. The chemical analysis revealed that the composition of the mummified regions included mainly carbon, oxygen, and small amount of minerals indicating these regions were similar to currently growing wood, and the petrified regions included silicon and oxygen indicating these regions were petrified-in the same piece of wood! This chemical analysis verified the mummified/petrified wood regions in multiple pieces of wood. Micrographs showed that the mummified regions retained well-preserved wood cell structures, and the petrified regions retained recognizable plant structures. Based on the wood cell structures, we confirmed that the wood originated from a species of conifer. Nano-indentation results showed the nanohardness of the petrified region to be 4.57 ± 3.11 GPa and the mummified region to be 0.71 ± 0.39 GPa. These hardness results also confirm that the petrified regions and mummified regions were clearly different materials as the silicate region is known to be much harder than the carbon regions. With respect to the environmental condition that enabled petrification and mummification within the same pieces of wood, this evidence suggests that a heavy flood buried wood that was then covered by sediment resulting in anoxic conditions within a short time. Water from heavy rain receded to make xeric conditions while some remained causing petrification.

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Wood Petrifaction: A New View of Permineralization and Replacement

Cited by 56 publications

References 28 publications

A Silicified Carboniferous Lycopsid Forest in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, USA

A Silicified Carboniferous Lycopsid Forest in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, USA

Silification of the Mesozoic Rocks Accompanying the Bełchatów Lignite Deposit, Central Poland

A characterization of petrified and mummified wood from an Eocene deposit in Mississippi

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