National Fossil Wood Park, Tiruvakkarai | |
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Type | Fossil park |
Location | Tamil Nadu, India |
Coordinates | 12°01′09″N 79°39′12″E / 12.01917°N 79.65333°E |
Area | 247 acres (100 ha) |
Created | 1940 |
Operated by | Geological Survey of India |
Status | Protected area |
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]
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]
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]