When this forest died, the result was not dust: 225 million years later it exploded into one of Earth's most spectacular landscapes

At Arizona’s Petrified Forest, a tree that fell about 220 million years ago was buried and gradually turned to stone as minerals seeped in.

Silica, iron oxides, and manganese gave the petrified wood vivid colors, and erosion is still exposing new trunks today.

The site offers clues to Triassic climate and geology and shows how wood can be preserved for millions of years through fossilization.

It also highlights how fragile this natural heritage is, with erosion and visitor removal threatening the site.