AboutFraser Hamilton Expertise I have over 15 years of professional experience in the environmental geology field. I am well versed in general geology types of questions and answers. In addition I have a keen understanding of physical stratigraphy (especially in the Valley and Ridge of Central PA) and cycles.
Experience Eight years of education, fifteen years of professional experience. Have worked or studied in ME, PA, TX, KY, IN, TN, OH, WA and Scotland.
Publications Geological Society of America
American Association of Petroleum Geologists
Properties Magazine
Cleveland Bar Association
Cleveland Engineering Society
Education/Credentials BA Geology/Math, University of Maine at Farmington
MA Geology - Physical Stratigraphy, Temple University
Post Grad Studies Geology - Texas A&M University
Awards and Honors Distinguished graduate teaching award, Temple University
Question I was investigating an area of disrupted ground and found a rock with with a plant growing out of it.
Upon further investigation I noticed that the rock was petrified wood. The entire outside of the piece was solid rock, with the center being what appeared to be rotten wood.
Question: Is this normal?
Could it be that a time capsule of sorts was created during the creation of this petrified wood in a coal seam?
How common is this?
Answer Troy:
Where did you find this? That is always one of the first things a geologist wants to know.
It seems unlikely that pretrified wood would have any rotten wood left in the middle. The process that makes petrified wood generally requires the wood to be completely covered in water for some very long period of time (hundreds, thousands of years I am guessing, maybe longer). Therefore, there is little chance of the soft parts surviving.
You ask about coal seams. Petrified wood does not generally happen in coal seams. Wood rots there and turns to coal not rock.
Let me know more abotu where you found what you did.
