WC429 Climate Cycles
by Scott Fricke
This is a story of many cycles, the first, a tree grows and then dies in a swamp, as it slowly decays minerals in the soil replace the organic material and the tree is fossilized, becoming stone. The second cycle is that of climate change. The lush swamp dries up, the area is transformed into a desert of sandstone that through the millennia erodes to reveal the hidden evidence of past life. Comments and critiques are most welcome.
Petrified National Forest, Arizona
Canon 1D II, 70-200 IS 2.8 @ 93MM, f11, 1/400sec, ISO 200
Comments
7 commentsThose huge trees certainly didn't grow in a desert, but it's still hard to visualize Arizona as a tropical jungle.
As someone who has seen many pieces of petrified wood in the rough, at mineral shows and in situ in the field I can reassure viewers that the color is that intense. It's one of the reasons polished Arizona petrified woods is so popular. If not for the National park these beautiful logs would have disappeared into a lapidarist's garage a long time ago.
Paul
As far as the red I would like to see some continuity from the lower right, through the "red" trees, the to the upper left and across the top with a hint of more color.
Great photo.
the fisch
I really like the lines and the texture here. Excellent work!