The volunteers at the Rowley Roberts Tourist Information Centre can show you examples of petrified wood and direct you to where you might see this in its natural setting. Petrified wood is a type of fossil, in which the tissues of a dead plant are replaced with minerals (most often a silicate, such as quartz). The petrifaction process occurs underground, when wood or woody materials suddenly become buried under sediment. Mineral-rich water flowing through the sediment deposits minerals in the plant's cells and as the plant's lignin and cellulose decays away, a stone cast is left in its place. The Centre is located west of Emerald in Alpha.
