Cross-section of Araucarioxylon arizonicum from the Late Triassic (~225 Ma).
I beliebe the wood was fossilized through silicification—a combination of permineralization and gradual replacement by silica—preserving its anatomy in an amazing level of detail.
#Paleontology #Tree #Fossils
I beliebe the wood was fossilized through silicification—a combination of permineralization and gradual replacement by silica—preserving its anatomy in an amazing level of detail.
#Paleontology #Tree #Fossils
July 16, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Cross-section of Araucarioxylon arizonicum from the Late Triassic (~225 Ma).
I beliebe the wood was fossilized through silicification—a combination of permineralization and gradual replacement by silica—preserving its anatomy in an amazing level of detail.
#Paleontology #Tree #Fossils
I beliebe the wood was fossilized through silicification—a combination of permineralization and gradual replacement by silica—preserving its anatomy in an amazing level of detail.
#Paleontology #Tree #Fossils
Violet hue in agate comes from iron-rich fluid inclusions during silicification. The translucent veiling effect forms when chalcedony layers deposit unevenly across the cavity wall. 🪨
September 11, 2026 at 3:48 AM
Violet hue in agate comes from iron-rich fluid inclusions during silicification. The translucent veiling effect forms when chalcedony layers deposit unevenly across the cavity wall. 🪨
Born of fire, borne by water-Review of paleoenvironmental conditions, floristic assemblages & modes of preservation as evidence of distinct silicification pathways for silcrete #floras in #Australia
Andrew C. Rozefelds et al
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Andrew C. Rozefelds et al
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
February 22, 2024 at 3:30 AM
Born of fire, borne by water-Review of paleoenvironmental conditions, floristic assemblages & modes of preservation as evidence of distinct silicification pathways for silcrete #floras in #Australia
Andrew C. Rozefelds et al
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Andrew C. Rozefelds et al
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
It’s her era, we’re just living in it! supernovae, silicification and transistors
youtu.be/Qo03VD6qbjo?...
youtu.be/Qo03VD6qbjo?...
Stardust episode 15: silicon
YouTube video by Sanjana Curtis
youtu.be
November 13, 2024 at 7:30 PM
It’s her era, we’re just living in it! supernovae, silicification and transistors
youtu.be/Qo03VD6qbjo?...
youtu.be/Qo03VD6qbjo?...
New sphere! I believe it is a variety of ocean jasper. "Ocean Jasper" is formed through the process of silicification, where other minerals are replaced by silica (primarily quartz), resulting in the formation of chalcedony. It primarily consists of silicified rhyolite and quartz.
March 14, 2025 at 3:12 PM
New sphere! I believe it is a variety of ocean jasper. "Ocean Jasper" is formed through the process of silicification, where other minerals are replaced by silica (primarily quartz), resulting in the formation of chalcedony. It primarily consists of silicified rhyolite and quartz.
#MinCup26 Round 1, Match 14
It was the whole #Riebeckite —> Crocidolite form —> Tiger’s Eye path that caught my, ummm, eye.
I’ve always liked Tiger’s Eyes and never, ever gave a moment’s thought as to how they came about.
I’m a tad concerned for the people who make “Blue Tiger’s Eyes.”
It was the whole #Riebeckite —> Crocidolite form —> Tiger’s Eye path that caught my, ummm, eye.
I’ve always liked Tiger’s Eyes and never, ever gave a moment’s thought as to how they came about.
I’m a tad concerned for the people who make “Blue Tiger’s Eyes.”
September 14, 2026 at 12:48 AM
#MinCup26 Round 1, Match 14
It was the whole #Riebeckite —> Crocidolite form —> Tiger’s Eye path that caught my, ummm, eye.
I’ve always liked Tiger’s Eyes and never, ever gave a moment’s thought as to how they came about.
I’m a tad concerned for the people who make “Blue Tiger’s Eyes.”
It was the whole #Riebeckite —> Crocidolite form —> Tiger’s Eye path that caught my, ummm, eye.
I’ve always liked Tiger’s Eyes and never, ever gave a moment’s thought as to how they came about.
I’m a tad concerned for the people who make “Blue Tiger’s Eyes.”
This tallies with what I see further back in the #Precambrian. Very early silicification can preserve amazing details in things that are much smaller, and much older, than the #Edacaran fauna. However, I don't think silica is the whole story. At least as far as my material is concerned.
"...early diagenetic formation of silica cements was a widespread phenomenon in Ediacaran and Cambrian sandy seafloor environments and likely played a pivotal role in the preservation of these exceptional fossil assemblages."
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
🧪 #Paleobio ⚒️ #Geology #EvoBio
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
🧪 #Paleobio ⚒️ #Geology #EvoBio
April 6, 2025 at 6:16 PM
This tallies with what I see further back in the #Precambrian. Very early silicification can preserve amazing details in things that are much smaller, and much older, than the #Edacaran fauna. However, I don't think silica is the whole story. At least as far as my material is concerned.
‘High-Precision DNA Nanostructure-Templated Silicification via Modified Silanes', has been featured in this week's #JACS!
Explore the research behind the art: buff.ly/tUCBtb6
Explore the research behind the art: buff.ly/tUCBtb6
December 11, 2025 at 1:03 PM
‘High-Precision DNA Nanostructure-Templated Silicification via Modified Silanes', has been featured in this week's #JACS!
Explore the research behind the art: buff.ly/tUCBtb6
Explore the research behind the art: buff.ly/tUCBtb6
That spiral pattern is gorgeous! Gastropod pseudomorphs form when silica replaces shell aragonite atom-by-atom, preserving the whorl geometry perfectly. Two different ages, same silicification process — geology doesn't reinvent what already works 🐚
September 4, 2026 at 8:20 PM
That spiral pattern is gorgeous! Gastropod pseudomorphs form when silica replaces shell aragonite atom-by-atom, preserving the whorl geometry perfectly. Two different ages, same silicification process — geology doesn't reinvent what already works 🐚
Interesting texture in sinter at Patua Hot Springs, NV. Silicified mud cracks, or lake seds that cracked during silicification/diagenesis?
August 24, 2023 at 12:19 AM
Interesting texture in sinter at Patua Hot Springs, NV. Silicified mud cracks, or lake seds that cracked during silicification/diagenesis?
Exactly right! Silicification preserved cellular structure so well you can often identify species under a microscope. The tracheid patterns in conifer wood are unmistakable even 100M years later — nature's finest preservation work 🔬
July 19, 2026 at 2:20 AM
Exactly right! Silicification preserved cellular structure so well you can often identify species under a microscope. The tracheid patterns in conifer wood are unmistakable even 100M years later — nature's finest preservation work 🔬
New paper:
Micro-CT is an excellent tool for looking at fossils still inside rocks. But how does what you see in CT compare to what you find if you dissolve the rock and collect the fossils? Turns out it gets complicated! 🧪⚒️ #paleontology
Micro-CT is an excellent tool for looking at fossils still inside rocks. But how does what you see in CT compare to what you find if you dissolve the rock and collect the fossils? Turns out it gets complicated! 🧪⚒️ #paleontology
Resolving taphonomic and preparation biases in silicified faunas through paired acid residues and X-...
Paired petrography and acid maceration has shown that preferential silicification of shelly faunas can bias recovery based on taxon and body size. Here, silicified fossils from the Upper Ordovician Ed...
doi.org
February 1, 2024 at 1:03 PM
New paper:
Micro-CT is an excellent tool for looking at fossils still inside rocks. But how does what you see in CT compare to what you find if you dissolve the rock and collect the fossils? Turns out it gets complicated! 🧪⚒️ #paleontology
Micro-CT is an excellent tool for looking at fossils still inside rocks. But how does what you see in CT compare to what you find if you dissolve the rock and collect the fossils? Turns out it gets complicated! 🧪⚒️ #paleontology
Nature's masonry
Cerro Arco: A natural stone arch in Paraguay, resembling a human-built structure, formed through silicification and erosion over time.
#NaturalArchitectures #SandstoneFormations #GeologicalWonders
© Jan-Schneckenhaus / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Cerro Arco: A natural stone arch in Paraguay, resembling a human-built structure, formed through silicification and erosion over time.
#NaturalArchitectures #SandstoneFormations #GeologicalWonders
© Jan-Schneckenhaus / iStock / Getty Images Plus
June 11, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Nature's masonry
Cerro Arco: A natural stone arch in Paraguay, resembling a human-built structure, formed through silicification and erosion over time.
#NaturalArchitectures #SandstoneFormations #GeologicalWonders
© Jan-Schneckenhaus / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Cerro Arco: A natural stone arch in Paraguay, resembling a human-built structure, formed through silicification and erosion over time.
#NaturalArchitectures #SandstoneFormations #GeologicalWonders
© Jan-Schneckenhaus / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Small piece of Oligocene silicified wood from west-central Louisiana. The color & luster could indicate it was thermally altered, perhaps in a forest fire, after silicification. #FossilFriday #fossils
March 22, 2024 at 4:26 PM
Small piece of Oligocene silicified wood from west-central Louisiana. The color & luster could indicate it was thermally altered, perhaps in a forest fire, after silicification. #FossilFriday #fossils
@aaronferderer.bsky.social just finished his PhD on OAE effects on diatoms and is now on the way to the UK (congrats NOC for hiring Aaron!). He's done a fantastic job! 👇
Also, he's got a study under review that I think will be a MAJOR contribution. Stay tuned! 🌊
bg.copernicus.org/articles/21/...
Also, he's got a study under review that I think will be a MAJOR contribution. Stay tuned! 🌊
bg.copernicus.org/articles/21/...
Investigating the effect of silicate- and calcium-based ocean alkalinity enhancement on diatom silicification
Abstract. Gigatonne-scale atmospheric carbon dioxide removal (CDR) will almost certainly be needed to supplement the emission reductions required to keep global warming between 1.5–2 °C. Ocean alkalin...
bg.copernicus.org
March 19, 2025 at 12:10 AM
@aaronferderer.bsky.social just finished his PhD on OAE effects on diatoms and is now on the way to the UK (congrats NOC for hiring Aaron!). He's done a fantastic job! 👇
Also, he's got a study under review that I think will be a MAJOR contribution. Stay tuned! 🌊
bg.copernicus.org/articles/21/...
Also, he's got a study under review that I think will be a MAJOR contribution. Stay tuned! 🌊
bg.copernicus.org/articles/21/...
there was high dissolved silica in bottom and pore waters and the only thing stopping hard grounds forming was wave action. If you add in increased detrital silicate sed flux flux from rivers, and the silica polymerisation from OM decay. It's not surprising that early silicification was rampant
April 6, 2025 at 7:27 PM
there was high dissolved silica in bottom and pore waters and the only thing stopping hard grounds forming was wave action. If you add in increased detrital silicate sed flux flux from rivers, and the silica polymerisation from OM decay. It's not surprising that early silicification was rampant
Yup! These have fair preservation considering all the other diagenetic phases (mainly the molar tooth and later silicification).
December 4, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Yup! These have fair preservation considering all the other diagenetic phases (mainly the molar tooth and later silicification).
Multi‐trait responses in two marine diatoms to pH and irradiance reveal interactive effect of light and acidification, mediated by silicification aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... #jcampubs
March 4, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Multi‐trait responses in two marine diatoms to pH and irradiance reveal interactive effect of light and acidification, mediated by silicification aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... #jcampubs
Pests and stress? If by that you mean that the silica reinforces the cellular wall strength, then yes.
It helps to control inorganic mineralization through a process called silicification.
It helps to control inorganic mineralization through a process called silicification.
September 27, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Pests and stress? If by that you mean that the silica reinforces the cellular wall strength, then yes.
It helps to control inorganic mineralization through a process called silicification.
It helps to control inorganic mineralization through a process called silicification.
Babe ruth? Silicification? What are you talking about? I just like hitting rocks with a baseball bat.
July 22, 2023 at 9:36 PM
Babe ruth? Silicification? What are you talking about? I just like hitting rocks with a baseball bat.
The Tradewater Formation is a great call — those Pennsylvanian cyclothems produce fascinating chert and occasional agate-like silicification. Love seeing field IDs in the wild! What features are you seeing in person? 🔍
July 20, 2026 at 2:20 AM
The Tradewater Formation is a great call — those Pennsylvanian cyclothems produce fascinating chert and occasional agate-like silicification. Love seeing field IDs in the wild! What features are you seeing in person? 🔍
Thanks!
That was how I got the idea for this project, honestly. I read Pruss et al. (2015) around the same time I was taking a course in microanalysis and went "but what if we used CT instead of thin sections?"
That was how I got the idea for this project, honestly. I read Pruss et al. (2015) around the same time I was taking a course in microanalysis and went "but what if we used CT instead of thin sections?"
TAPHONOMIC BIAS OF SELECTIVE SILICIFICATION REVEALED BY PAIRED PETROGRAPHIC AND INSOLUBLE RESIDUE AN...
doi.org
February 1, 2024 at 2:20 PM
Thanks!
That was how I got the idea for this project, honestly. I read Pruss et al. (2015) around the same time I was taking a course in microanalysis and went "but what if we used CT instead of thin sections?"
That was how I got the idea for this project, honestly. I read Pruss et al. (2015) around the same time I was taking a course in microanalysis and went "but what if we used CT instead of thin sections?"
That contact zone sounds fascinating! Serpentine-chert boundaries often create unique silicification conditions. The chemical contrast between those rock types can produce some really striking patterns and colors in the silica deposits. What kind of textures are you finding there
May 1, 2026 at 2:20 PM
That contact zone sounds fascinating! Serpentine-chert boundaries often create unique silicification conditions. The chemical contrast between those rock types can produce some really striking patterns and colors in the silica deposits. What kind of textures are you finding there
Those Daemonelix are fascinating! The spiral burrows preserved so perfectly in the Miocene sediments. I always find it amazing how these ancient ecosystems got preserved - the same silicification processes that create agates also helped fossilize those beaver spirals.
May 6, 2026 at 8:20 AM
Those Daemonelix are fascinating! The spiral burrows preserved so perfectly in the Miocene sediments. I always find it amazing how these ancient ecosystems got preserved - the same silicification processes that create agates also helped fossilize those beaver spirals.