A Trip To the Oligocene Epoch Right Down the Road

A few weeks ago, I time traveled. I wasn’t gone very long and I didn’t travel very far, but I definitely went back in time. Back about 36-38 million years ago in fact, if scientists are right. It wasn’t as exciting as I thought it might be but it was interesting none-the-less.

Photo by P. Rickrode, April 2022

Photo by P. Rickrode, April 2022

Photo by P. Rickrode, April 2022

Our good friends, Morgan and Gwen, asked us if we had visited the Mississippi Petrified Forest since we’ve moved here. We have not. So, they invited us to join them one Sunday afternoon to check it out. It was a lovely cool day, perfect for a nature walk. Upon arrival in Flora, we paid our entry fee, picked up a guidebook and set off along the self-guided nature trail.

Me and Gwen. The bench we are sitting on is a petrified log. (Photo by P. Rickrode, April 2022)

Corey and Morgan. The bench they are sitting on is a petrified log. (Photo by P. Rickrode, April 2022)

The entire Petrified Forest Park is a conservation area with lots of interesting history and geology to study. It’s the only surviving petrified forest in the entire eastern half of the United States. I’ll be paraphrasing and using direct quotes from here-on-out from the visitor’s guide provided by the museum.

Can you see the fossils in the fence post? (Photo by P. Rickrode, April 2022)

Clam shell fossil impressions in the fence post. (Photo by P. Rickrode, April 2022)

Early scientific studies indicate that the petrified tree remnants here were probably brought to the area as driftwood from a prehistoric river. The log pieces were dated by geological age based on the soils in which they are buried (red sand and silt from the forest hill formations). The earliest recorded sightings of the petrified wood occurred in 1854 but little was known about the phenomenon. During the 1930’s, the area became more widely known and since that time, there have been thousands of visitors.

True scientific research began around 1900 when attention to this field of study evolved into paleobotany (the study of plant fossils). Identification of petrified wood is complicated. It must first be cut with a diamond saw, then ground into paper thin slices, then studied under a microscope. The preserved cell structure visible in those slices reveal the type of tree it was or could have been.

The cross-section of modern Sequoia to the right is not petrified. It is placed here to compare with the size and age of the petrified log I am sitting on, which was identified as a Sequoia-like conifer estimated to have measured well over 11 feet in diameter when it was alive. The sign next to me says, “This log weighs 1,685 lbs.” (Photo by C. Rickrode, April 2022)

Photo by P. Rickrode, April 2022

All the pieces of petrified wood in this forest are in natural positions, just as erosion moved them. There is evidence that more petrified wood may still lie deeply buried beneath the soil. In fact, in 1962, when a deep water-well was being drilled close to the preserve, a petrified log was struck and drilled through at a depth of 75 feet. Prior to 1962, this entire area was unprotected and mostly abandoned. It is believed that tons of petrified logs were hauled away prior to that time by either folks who knew what they were taking, or other folks just wanting some good hard pieces of cool looking rock.

Petrified wood can be a large and heavy fossil weighing as much as 166 pounds per cubic foot. A natural camouflage of pine needles and leaves cover some log sections along the path and on the hillsides making an excellent natural covering for still-buried sections. You can see the erosion and thick bed of pine needles and leaves in the slideshow photos below.

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Abundant, large Loblolly pines are the parent trees that helped reforest this area. Many are covered in Lichen. Lichen also covers many of the petrified log pieces. The combination of Lichen, an algae, and fungus produces a very weak acid which can etch and slowly turn rock into soil. The rough external appearance of the petrified logs looks like bark but these patterns are actually caused by the erosion effects of Lichen, fungus, rain and wind.

Here are some more photos of our adventure. Most of the things that look like moss covered rocks are the lichen covered petrified wood.

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The nature trail ends at the Earth Science Museum, which features displays of petrified wood, fossils, minerals, and gemstones from around the world. It’s quite impressive, not to mention sparkly.

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The Mississippi Petrified Forest is privately owned and developed with the primary aim of complete and natural preservation. It was deemed a Registered National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in 1966. However, no federal or state funding has ever been received.

Nature’s balance is a delicate one. One we should all be aware of. We should recognize that all living creatures, large or small, animal or plant, play an important role in maintaining this balance. I for one, am glad that institutions like the Mississippi Petrified Forest make efforts to preserve such unique and interesting places for future generations to enjoy.

Have you guys ever visited this place? Have you visited other petrified forests? This is the third one I’ve experienced in person. I love natural science, how about you? What cool nature things are in your area?

I’ve got some exciting things planned for the year that only my newsletter followers will know about. I promise you’ll only get 6 newsletters for the entire year, so I won’t clutter up your inbox. Here’s the link if you want to sign up and be the first to know things: http://bit.ly/JansenSchmidtNewsletter

Word of the Day: Lexiscope

Fun fact about me: I’m still waiting to hear from the flea market lady. It’s been two weeks now. Time to make a phone call. Stay tuned.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, May 2022. Images by C. Rickrode and P. Rickrode.