Petrified Wood Detail, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

A cross-section of petrified wood displays a wide spectrum of colors in the Rainbow Forest of Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. The petrified wood in the park is made up of almost solid quartz and the colors are the result of impurities in the quartz, such as iron, carbon and manganese. It formed more than 200 million years ago when logs washed into an ancient river system. The logs were quickly buried by sediment, which slowed decay. Over time, minerals, including silica, were absorbed into the porous wood, replacing the original organic material over hundreds of thousands of years.

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A cross-section of petrified wood displays a wide spectrum of colors in the Rainbow Forest of Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. The petrified wood in the park is made up of almost solid quartz and the colors are the result of impurities in the quartz, such as iron, carbon and manganese. It formed more than 200 million years ago when logs washed into an ancient river system. The logs were quickly buried by sediment, which slowed decay. Over time, minerals, including silica, were absorbed into the porous wood, replacing the original organic material over hundreds of thousands of years.