 EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes
and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and
archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


 Dendrites in Amber

   November 06, 2020

    Amber

   Photographer:  Mila Zinkova
   Summary Author:  Mila Zinkova;  Stu Witmer

   Seen above is a microscopic image of a 20 million-year-old Dominican
    amber. Below the two insects, you can see a plant-looking inclusion
   in the lower part of the amber. These are  dendrites from the Greek
   word for tree. Common in  limestone,  dendrites are sometimes
   called  pseudofossils[DEL: :DEL] and can be distinguished from
   fossils by the  fractal-like perfection of the branching. They’re
   actually deposits of  hydrous iron or  manganese oxides that form
   when  supersaturated solutions of iron or manganese penetrate the
   limestone and are precipitated on exposure to air at the surface. Other
    dendritic formations in nature include  frost on a window,
    river basins and in  your brain.

Related EPODs

    Dendrites in Amber  Stonerose Eocene Fossil Site  Snake Butte
   Laccolith  Schöllenen Gorge  Big Obsidian Flow  Archive -
   Coastal Erosion in Maine
    More...

Geology Links

     *  Earthquakes
     *  Geologic Time
     *  Geomagnetism
     *  General Dictionary of Geology
     *  Mineral and Locality Database
     *  Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
     *  This Dynamic Earth
     *  USGS
     *  USGS Ask a Geologist
     *  USGS/NPS Geologic Glossary
     *  USGS Volcano Hazards Program

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   Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the  Universities
   Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu
 
