Why Hunting For 20-Million-Year-Old Petrified Wood Is So Dangerous In Indonesia | Risky Business

Business Insider7 minutes read

Petrified wood, formed through a process involving lack of oxygen and volcanic ash, is highly valuable and can sell for four times what Indonesian miners earn annually. Miners like Ellie Su risk their lives to find pieces, which are polished into various items and can fetch high prices from international clients despite only receiving a fraction of the earnings.

Insights

  • Petrified wood, formed through a complex process involving lack of oxygen, water swelling, and silica crystallization, holds immense value with pieces fetching high prices, significantly exceeding the miners' earnings.
  • The presence of petrified wood in various locations, including a National Park in Arizona, not only offers insights into Earth's history and climate changes but also faces threats from illegal activities like theft, prompting conservation efforts to protect this scientific treasure.

Get key ideas from YouTube videos. It’s free

Recent questions

  • How is petrified wood formed?

    Through lack of oxygen, water, and silica crystallization.

  • What risks do miners face when searching for petrified wood?

    Dangerous conditions in unsecured mines.

  • What is the value of petrified wood items?

    Valued based on color, patterns, and international demand.

  • Where can petrified wood dating back 200 million years be found?

    In an Arizona National Park.

  • How much do Indonesian miners earn from selling petrified wood?

    About $60 after dividing the earnings.

Related videos

Summary

00:00

"Petrified Wood: Valuable, Ancient, and Endangered"

  • Petrified wood, dating back 20 million years, holds mysteries from the past and is highly valuable, with pieces selling for four times what Indonesian miners earn annually.
  • The process of wood transforming into petrified wood involves a lack of oxygen, water swelling the wood, and volcanic ash filling the spaces with silica, eventually crystallizing into solid quartz.
  • Miners like Ellie Su, risking their lives in dangerous, unsecured mines, find petrified wood pieces, with the largest logs weighing up to 4 tons and selling for $480, but miners only receive about $60 after dividing the earnings.
  • Petrified wood is polished into various items like plates and tables, with each piece valued differently based on color and patterns, and international clients paying twice as much as local shops.
  • In Arizona, a National Park holds petrified wood dating back 200 million years, providing insights into Earth's history and climate changes, with officials working to preserve this scientific wonder despite illegal wood theft by tourists.
Channel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatar

Try it yourself — It’s free.