Is the rock at Two Lights State Park petrified wood?
Although some pieces have a strong resemblance to old weatherbeaten wood, the rocks along the southeastern shore of Cape Elizabeth and Scarboro are metamorphic rocks derived from sandstones. The sheet-like structure that looks like wood grain is a metamorphic foliation produced by aligned silicate minerals that grew under pressure at depth in the earth. This internal metamorphic structure causes the rocks to break into jagged pieces like a splintered log. But their derivation from sedimentary rock is clearly demonstrated by the sedimentary layers that can be seen in many places. (For more, see our Field Locality page for Two Lights State Park.
