This weekend, we took a trip up to Calistoga to check out the petrified forest, and a not-so-well-known "Old Faithful" geyser.
The Petrified Forest, in Calistoga, California holds one of the finest examples in the world of a preserved ancient forest. This unique site at the gateway to the Napa Valley was created following a violent volcanic explosion 3.4 million years ago. Seven miles northeast of the property lies the remains of an extinct volcano that today we call Mt. St. Helena. The incredibly powerful blast knocked down the forest of prehistoric Redwood trees (Sequoia langsdorfii) in a SW-NE orientation. Thick layers of volcanic ash billowing from the volcano rapidly buried the trees, creating an anaerobic (oxygen deprived) environment which discouraged the presence of the bacteria that decompose organic material. For thousands of years the formation of mineral-rich water percolated through the ashy deposits, saturating the pores of the organic tissues of the Redwoods with silica, filling the cellular spaces. During this process the saturated water evaporated, and the excess minerals were deposited in the cells and tissues, creating a three-dimensional fossil through the process of permineralization, and perfectly preserving even the most minute detail of the wood.
www.petrifiedforest.org/history
In the early days of the National Geographic Society, Old Faithful Geyser of California was declared one of only three “faithful” geysers in the world because of its regular eruptions. This geyser has also proven itself to be a good predictor of earthquakes. When the geyser’s regular eruptions are delayed or diminished, an earthquake is likely within the next couple of weeks in the 500 miles surrounding the geyser.
www.oldfaithfulgeyser.com/old-...