Petrified Wood: Fossilized remains of plants
Petrified wood (from the Greek root Petro meaning rock or stone; literally wood turned into stone) is the name given to a special type of fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation.
It is the result of a tree having turned completely into stone by the process of per mineralization. All the organic materials have been replaced with minerals (most often a silicate, such as quartz), while retaining the original structure of the wood. Unlike other types of fossils which are typically impressions or compressions, petrified wood is a three dimensional representation of the original organic material.
The petrifaction process occurs underground, when wood becomes buried under sediment and is initially preserved due to a lack of oxygen which inhibits aerobic decomposition.
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