Discovering the geological wonders of Sardinia in the company of geologist Luigi Sanciu. Today we take you to Soddì, a small town in the Oristano area on the shores of Lake Omodeo. The square of the country church of Santa Maria Maddalena, with a panoramic view of Lake Omodeo, houses a “garden” with fossil trunks about 20 million years old, which come from the petrified forest of Montigu Abile, also known as the “ghost forest”.
Photo by geologist Luigi Sangiu
At the time, in fact, a large tropical forest extended where Lake Omodeo is today: the recognized species are mainly palm trees and baobabs, with characteristics similar to the Saharan fossil flora.
Photo by geologist Luigi Sangiu
During a huge volcanic eruption, Pompeii style, it was buried under meters of ash and lapilli. These ash, over millions of years, penetrated inside the wood fibers, preserving it in an exceptional way, so much so that you can see the details of the bark and who knows, maybe even some woodworms remained inside!
The geologist Luigi Sangiu
Currently only a few trunks are still present at the original site. This is due to the fact that, in 1924, the creation of the artificial reservoir of Lake Omodeo led to the partial submergence of the petrified forest. For this reason the most representative trunks were taken and placed in the small square of Santa Maria. A site that absolutely deserves to be visited.
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