National Fossil Wood Park, Tiruvakkarai

The National Fossil Wood Park, Tiruvakkarai is a notified National Geo-heritage Monument located in the Villupuram District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and is maintained by the Geological Survey of India.[1] The park was established in 1940[2] and is located 1 km east of Thiruvakkarai[3][4] village on the road between Tindivanam and Pondicherry.[5]

National Fossil Wood Park, Tiruvakkarai
TypeFossil park
LocationTamil Nadu, India
Coordinates12°01′09″N 79°39′12″E
Area247 acres (100 ha)
Created1940 (1940)
Operated byGeological Survey of India
StatusProtected area

Wood fossils

The park contains petrified wood fossils approximately 20 million years old, scattered throughout the park,[6] which covers about 247 acres (100 ha). The park consists of nine enclaves, but only a small portion of the 247 acres (approx 1 square km) is open to the public.[7] Officials of the GSI believe the fossils were formed during massive flooding that occurred millions of years ago.[8]

The park hosts about 200 fossilized trees. They range in size from 3 to 15 metres (9.8 to 49.2 ft) meters in length, some of which are up to 5 meters in width.[1] They are strewn and partially buried in the park grounds.[6] No branches or leaves remain on the fossilised trunks.[8]

Scientists speculate that the trees did not originally grow at the site, but were transported before they had petrified.[8] M. Sonneret, a European naturalist, gave the first detailed account of the fossils in 1781.[2]

Quality of the fossils

The fossils are well preserved due to extensive petrifaction.[8] The trees' annular rings and pit structures are clearly visible, allowing their age to be determined by counting the rings.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Fossil Wood parks". Geological Survey of India. Archived from the original on 13 October 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  2. Kodinhi, Hussain. "Millions of years ago, there lived a tree". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 July 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  3. "VCK candidate vows to put Vanur on tourism map". The Hindu. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  4. These trees speak, but not many hear, The Hindu ne village on the road between Tindivanam and Pondicherry.wspaper, 2-Nov-2014
  5. Lifeless air hovers over Fossil Wood Park, The Hindu newspaper, 1-Feb-2012
  6. "Lifeless air hovers over Fossil Wood Park". 16 February 2012. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  7. Prasanna, Srinivasan (17 January 2001). "Forest of Brown". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  8. Yamunan, Shruthisagar (25 September 2010). "A repository of spectacularly preserved fossilized trees". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
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