View source for Lesvos Petrified Forest

{{short description|Petrified wood forest found on the island of Lesbos, Greece}}
{{Expand Greek|topic=geo|date=May 2020}}[[File:LesbosPetrified trunks23-24.jpg|thumb|Lesvos Petrified Forest]]
The '''Lesvos Petrified Forest''' is a [[Petrified wood|petrified wood forest]] on the island of [[Lesbos]], [[Greece]].

The forest was formed from the fossilized remains of [[plant]]s and [[tree]]s, which can be found in many localities on the western part of Lesbos Island.<ref name="readersnatural">{{Cite book|title=Natural Wonders of the World|publisher=Reader's Digest Association, Inc|year=1980|isbn=0-89577-087-3|editor-last=Scheffel|editor-first=Richard L.|location=United States of America|pages=343|editor-last2=Wernet|editor-first2=Susan J.}}</ref> Finds now include a 19.5 metre tree complete with some roots and branches and leaves, as well as, 150 fossilised logs.<ref>'Unique' petrified tree up to 20m years old found intact in Lesbos, The Guardian, Feb. 25, 2021[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/25/unique-petrified-tree-up-to-20m-years-old-found-intact-in-lesbos]</ref> The area enclosed by the villages of [[Eressos]], [[Antissa]] and [[Sigri (village)|Sigri]] is very dense in [[fossilized]] tree trunks, and forms the area designated as the Petrified Forest of Lesbos, which is managed by the [[Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest]], and has been designated as a protected natural monument. Isolated plant fossils can be found in many other parts of the island, including the [[village]]s of [[Molyvos]], [[Polichnitos]], [[Plomari]] and Akrasi. The forest is a major geosite of [[Lesvos Geopark]].<ref>[http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/SC/pdf/pdf_geopark_infosheet_Greece_EN.pdf Global Geoparks in Greece (UNESCO)]</ref>

== Formation ==
The petrified forest was formed by successive volcanic eruptions which took place between 17 and 20 million years ago, covering a large part of the island in lava and ash. The earliest forests show the vegetation, at the time of formation was subtropical, which differs from the present day Mediterranean vegetation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Helena|date=25 February 2021|title='Unique' petrified tree up to 20m years old found intact in Lesbos|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/25/unique-petrified-tree-up-to-20m-years-old-found-intact-in-lesbos|access-date=26 February 2021|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref>The Sigri pyroclastic formation is connected to the fossilization of the forest. <ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pe-Piper |first1=Georgia |last2=Imperial |first2=Alexis |last3=Piper |first3=David J. W. |last4=Zouros |first4=Nickolas C. |last5=Anastasakis |first5=George |date=2019-01-01 |title=Nature of the hydrothermal alteration of the Miocene Sigri Petrified Forest and host pyroclastic rocks, western Lesbos, Greece |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377027318302993 |journal=Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research |language=en |volume=369 |pages=172–187 |doi=10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2018.11.018 |bibcode=2019JVGR..369..172P |s2cid=134131138 |issn=0377-0273}}</ref>

== Museum ==
{{Main|Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest}}
There is a natural history museum associated with the petrified forest.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-03-20|title=Electrifying Petrified Wood Discovery on the Island of Lesbos, Greece {{!}} GeoRarities|url=https://georarities.com/2021/03/20/petrified-wood-discovery-in-lesbos-greece/|access-date=2021-05-06|language=en}}</ref>

==Geoheritage designations==
===UNESCO World Heritage Site===
The petrified forest of Lesbos, {{as of|2014|lc=y}}, was proposed for [[UNESCO]]'s Tentative List
of World Heritage Sites.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}{{update inline|date=February 2021}}

===IUGS geological heritage site===
In respect of it having 'one of [the] most complete early Miocene forest ecosystem records of the world', the [[International Union of Geological Sciences]] (IUGS) included the 'Lesvos Early Miocene Petrified Forest' in its assemblage of 100 'geological heritage sites' around the world in a listing published in October 2022. The organisation defines an IUGS Geological Heritage Site as 'a key place with geological elements and/or processes of international scientific relevance, used as a reference, and/or with a substantial contribution to the development of geological sciences through history.'<ref>{{cite web |title=The First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites |url=https://iugs-geoheritage.org/videos-pdfs/iugs_first_100_book_v2.pdf |website=IUGS International Commission on Geoheritage |publisher=IUGS |access-date=13 November 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Lesbos]]
* [[Petrified Forest National Park]]
*[[Petrified forest of Evia]], a similar petrified forest elsewhere in Greece

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.petrifiedforest.gr/ The Lesbos Petrified Forest - European and Global Geopark]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091116180613/http://www.lesvosmuseum.gr/site/home/ws.csp The Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101123042818/http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/eden/themes-destinations/countries/greece/lesvos/index_en.htm Awarded "EDEN - European Destinations of Excellence" non traditional tourist destination 2009]

{{Petrified forests}}
{{Landmarks of Lesbos}}
{{Coord|39|12|13|N|25|52|28|E|source:elwiki_region:GR|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Petrified Forest Of Lesbos}}
[[Category:Forests of Greece]]
[[Category:Lesbos]]
[[Category:Parks in Greece]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in the North Aegean]]
[[Category:Petrified forests]]
[[Category:Paleontology in Greece]]
[[Category:First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites]]

{{NorthAegean-geo-stub}}