Lesvos Petrified Forest Geopark - Greece - National Parks of the World on Waymarking.com

The broad area of the Petrified Forest occupies 15.000 hectares of the western part of Lesvos and has been pronounced by the state as "National Forest". The visiting area is fenced, guarded and offers three walking trails (from 0.5 to 2.1 km) among more than 70 standing and lying fossilized trees. The visitor has the chance to admire this rare geological monument and to have a close look at excellently preserved trees which can be standing like they are still alive or look like trunks fallen on the ground. In between he will find pieces of petrified leaves and roots everywhere.

The formation of the petrified forest is directly related to the intense volcanic activity in Lesvos island during late Oligocene - middle Miocene. The volcanic eruptions during this time, produced lavas, pyroclastic materials and volcanic ash, which covered the vegetation of the area. The rapid covering of tree trunks, branches, and leaves led to isolation from atmospheric conditions. Along with the volcanic activity, hot solutions of silicon dioxide penetrated and impregnated the volcanic materials that covered the tree trunks. The silicified tree trunks and their organs - especially the wood - are very well preserved. Furthermore, fossilised leaves, cones and seeds provide the raw data for important scientific studies.

The high proportion of upright petrified tree trunks with well preserved roots in the fossilised soil represents a complete autochthonous (fossilised in situ) ecosystem. It is considered as a unique natural geological monument which offers rare scientific information, like no other analogous monument from this time period and stage of plant development ever existed.

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