Studies on the wood tissue substitution by silica and calcite during the preservation of fossil wood

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds Vol. 362; no. 1; pp. 107 - 115
• Main Authors: Siurek, Jakub, Chevallier, Pierre, Ro, Chul-Un, Chun, Hee Young, Youn, Hwa Shik, Ziȩba, Emil, Kuczumow, Andrzej
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 14-01-2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Crystal growth; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Geochemistry; Grain boundaries; Paleobotany; Paleontology; Scanning and transmission electron microscopy; Soil and rock geochemistry; Stratigraphy; Synchrotron radiation; X-ray diffraction; South Shetland Islands; Scotia Sea; Poland; Antarctica; Scotia Sea Islands; Chile; Central Europe; King George Island; Crystal growth; Grain boundaries; X-ray diffraction; Scanning and transmission electron microscopy; Synchrotron radiation; South America; synchrotrons; Europe; silica; SEM data; TEM data; calcite; carbonates; fossil wood; preservation; mineralization; X-ray fluorescence; Antarctic Ocean; polar regions; crystal growth; biostratigraphy; synchrotron radiation
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/S0925-8388(03)00570-X

Three representative samples of petrified wood were investigated: wood from King George Island, Antarctica; wood from Bio-Bio province, middle Chile and wood from Łuków, Poland. Microdiffraction measurements of the Chilean and Łuków wood were made at LURE. Chilean and Antarctic samples were permineralised by silica material, but the share of undefined calcium silicates in construction of some intracellular locations in the latter sample was significant. In contrast, the wood from Łuków was replaced by calcite with a small presence of secondary silica. Linear scans were conducted using the X-ray microfluorescence beamlines in synchrotron devices in Orsay, France and Pohang, South Korea. The results were completed by the measurements of light elements with the use of electron microprobe. The list of major and minor constituents of all samples was established. The occurrence of such medium-Z elements as Fe, Zn, Cu and Ni was common in the samples. The samples of Chilean wood were more enriched in trace elements and minor amounts of As, La, Br and Cl were found in addition to the previously mentioned elements. Correlation of the trace element contents with the ring structure of the wood was detected. The annual ring, tissue and even cell details of the original wood were preserved by silica and calcite minerals and could be studied using the elemental mapping technique. Implications of the recent study for the material science are indicated.