Social media users have been sharing content claiming that scientists discovered that the Devil’s Tower butte in Wyoming is originally a giant tree after finding “an incredibly large petrified root system” underneath it. This claim is false.
Examples can be seen here and here .
One post reads: “DEVILS TOWER US…ORIGINALLY A GIANT TREE. Scientists from the Wyoming State Parks Department were conducting photographic seismic readings below the tower, when they discovered an incredibly large petrified root system below the tower. The parks department released a statement saying, “We have discovered, what looks like a giant root system stemming from the base of The Devils Tower. The root system has been measured at 4 miles deep by 7 miles wide.” ( here )
Reuters could not find a statement like this from the Wyoming State Parks Department. A Google search of the quote does not reveal anything except for posts by blogs and meme pages.
The tower is made up of a rare igneous rock called phonolite porphyry. Geologists do not fully know how it formed and there are different theories on details here .
Nicholos Myers, Supervisory Park Ranger for the Devils Tower National Monument and part of the National Park Service (NPS) confirmed to Reuters via email that this claim is false. He said, “there is no evidence to support such a theory as a tree stump or petrified tree roots,” and directed people to an NPS list of formation theories, here .
KGAB AM 650, a local radio station, published an article in August 2017 called “Help spread Wyoming’s new myth.” ( here ) The article urges locals to spread a myth about Devil’s Tower: “You’ve heard of petrified wood, right? Well, that is what you are looking at when you see the mighty Devil’s Tower, here in Wyoming. That’s right, it was once a giant tree. Look again. Doesn’t that look like a huge tree stump to you? Sure it does.”
The article cites a Facebook post by “Casper Planet”, who originally started the myth in July 2017 ( here ). The “about” section of the page explains: “Delivering the Snews that doesn’t matter directly to your Snews feed. satire, humor, and opinion, names/locations are made up.”
Casper Planet’s post cites www.infinitysnews.com, which does not exist. The image purportedly showing “the roots” of the tower actually shows the root system of sweet corn at 8 weeks ( here ).
Ask the traditional Lakota people about this. Mato Tipila place of the bear. There are stories from long ago about Fallen Star. Science has its uses, but this is not one.
You missed the point of this story.
Lava core from prehistoric volcano.
Devi’s Tower is thought to be the lava of a prehistoric volcano. The lava hardened and the surrounding soil has been eroded away by wind an water over several million years.
Looks like a tree; it was a tree.
Visited there when I was a kid. Hiked around the base. I remember being told it was the core of an ancient volcano. It’s very impressive.
Peace’s that break away are always and only, octagon ( 8 sided) in shape.