PETRIFIED FOREST OF LESVOS
The Petrified Forest of Lesvos is a unique fossil site on the western coast of the Greek island of Lesvos, which is located in the Eastern Aegean Sea. The most noteworthy concentrations of petrified trunks, which make up the renowned Petrified Forest, are located in an area extending over 15.000 ha. The creation of the Petrified Forest is strictly connected with the intense volcanic activity in the Aegean area during Miocene.
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The natural erosion of the volcanic rocks has revealed impressive standing and collapsed tree trunks with lengths of up to twenty meters and trunk diameters of up to three meters. The large number of standing petrified trunks with their root system intact and in full development provides proof that these trees were petrified in their original position. This natural monument constitutes a natural document recording the geological history of the Aegean basin of the last 20 million years. Recognising the major environmental, geological and palaeontological value of the area, the Greek State has declared the Petrified Forest to be a preserved Natural Monument.
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PETRIFIED FOREST OF LESVOS
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PETRIFIED FOREST OF LESVOS
