Today we went on a guided tour to the petrified forest here at the National Park. Ranger Alex told us about the geology of the place and the process of petrification.
The location around was made up of volcanic sediments that eventually became clay. The petrification of the trees (some were meta sequoia trees) happened because the bacteria responsible for decomposition were exterminated for being without oxygen due to the ground being anaerobic. Then, the trees become covered by sediments, mainly silica. The petrification process itself happens when each particle of the tree is replaced by sediments, one by one, which also allows the trees to retain their shape and texture. It’s fascinating!
On our way out of the forest, we found some Blue Flax fruits, from the Linaceae family, known as Linum lewisii. It was on a very dry ground (clay?), or what seemed to be dry since if it was clay, it can hold 20x its weight in water.
I wonder how people started creating fabric out of such tiny plants. On Kimmerer’s book, she explains how creating objects out of sweetgrass has such an impact on the culture, as you connect with the land and others. It’s an intriguing concept, and I’m still even more intrigued about its origin, although I accept that I’ll most likely never know, and that’s okay. What a boring world would be if we knew everything!
Journal entry by Deborah
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