Wood Fossil

[danpatton5.56]

Is a Forrest Fire Burnt Petrified Wood Rare?  This piece weighs in at more than 900g.

[Fossildude19]

Can we see a view of the broken side?

Where was this found?

Looks more like mineral that wood to me, but a view of the broken side would help to determine this.

Regards,

[danpatton5.56]

Here you go...

[danpatton5.56]

Found near the Eastern Oregon ghost-town of Whitney.

[Fossildude19]

I'm not seeing any wood grain look to this - I'm going to say this is probably an ironstone concretion, with a limonite crust to it.

Wait for other opinions, though.  

Regards, 

 

Oh, and Welcome, to the Forum.  

[danpatton5.56]

Thanks for taking a look at it.  

[jpc]

tough call, but Tim may be onto something.  The end you showed in the last bunch of pix shows less woody structure than the other end, which seems to have tree rings.

[ynot]

I do not know the geology of the area, but eastern Oregon does have a lot of volcanic rock and this looks like a lava bomb. Probable basalt.

[danpatton5.56]

Thanks for taking a look at it.  Until now I was convinced it was wood.  It looks exactly like a piece of sand-wind-surf eroded driftwood, But covered in "alligator-back" Charing that resembles burnt wood.  They  can't all be diamond. 

[danpatton5.56]

Is there a  test to determine whether or not it was wood?

 

 

[ynot]

Research the area it was found and see what type of rocks are found there and compare Yours to what is found there.

You could also cut and polish one end and see if there are any characteristics of wood-- annual rings or cell structure.

Another option is to take it to a local museum or rock club and let someone look at it in person, some details are not always visible in a pictures.

 

Good luck.

Tony

[danpatton5.56]

On Monday, January 23, 2017 at 6:39 AM, danpatton5.56 said:

Is a Forrest Fire Burnt Petrified Wood Rare?  This piece weighs in at 943.5 g. 

 

[Fossildude19]

The broken end picture you posted doesn't look like fossil wood, to me.  

See THESE PICTURES.

 

I'm still in the geologic camp for this one.  

Regards,

[Sil]

Looks a lot like folded slag/lava not petrified wood. I'd consider contacting a lapidary club or store and see about getting the broken base cut off so the piece stands up and possibly also polish it