While exploring Centralia, Pennsylvania, I unearthed a captivating find: fossil ferns and plants. These ancient relics date back to the Carboniferous period, offering a glimpse into a world some 300 million years past. What's particularly striking is the ferns' unique white hue. This coloration isn't due to ash or the region's infamous fire, but a result of pyrophyllite, a mineral that has preserved and tinted these plant remnants over eons. It's an incredible discovery, especially in a place like Centralia, which has been known for a coal seam fire raging since the 1960s.
