Microspectrometric investigation of petrified wood from south-eastern Poland

The investigation of the interesting collection of the petrified wood from Bondyrz, Roztocze, south-eastern Poland, has been continued. Two kinds of m icroprobes such as electron microprobe from the Catholic University of Lubl in and synchrotron-based X-ray microprobe from LURE, Orsay, were applied to detect the elements associated with the main component silica and their sp atial distribution and interrelations. The distribution of carbon in the pe trified material has been established, which is important since that elemen t is the main remains from the history of the trees. The carbon distributio n was characteristic - it concentrated on a place of primordial dark wood. The distribution patterns of the other elements were either similar to that of carbon (Cu, Pb) or they concentrated in separate inclusions (Fe, Al, K, Na, Ca). The replicating mode of the original wood pattern in silica and c arbon-containing material was explained. Some indications about the composi tion of the primordial petrifying solution, the rate of the petrifaction pr ocess and the recent coloration of the sample could be concluded from the c ompositional patterns of silica. The boundary between totally and partially petrified zones could be well observed.