Coal with Imprint of Lepidodendron

3D Model

Limestone, coal, and oil are formed by living organisms. They bind carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the lithosphere – the solid, outer part of the Earth’s mantle – for millions of years.

The most important coal deposits date from the Carboniferous period and are over 300 million years old. Since then, they have stored carbon dioxide extracted from the atmosphere by tropical rainforests at that time.

Scale trees were among the most important plants forming the Carboniferous forests.

This rock is now on display in the newly designed Hall 6 of the NHM Vienna.

Specimen: Coal with imprint of a scale tree (Lepidodendron)

Collection: Natural History Museum Vienna, Geology & Paleontology Dept. (curator: Mathias Harzhauser)

Origin: Rosice, Czech Republic

Find out more about the NHMW here.

Scanned and edited by Viola Winkler & Anna Haider (NHMW)

Scanner: Artec Leo. Infrastructure funded by the FFG.