My first response to the article was the question the creation
>of the imprint of a leaf on basalt, considering that leaves don't last
>long at high temperatures, and basalt is deposited as a molten lava.
>Glenn Morton made a similar comment and went into more detail.
Having climbed inside the Rhinocerus cast in the Columbia River Basalts,
and seen many tree casts with bark impressions in basalt as well as trees
encased in basalt (it is much cooler than Glenn asserts when it is flowing
at the surface, and is rapidly cooled by contact with trees. In fact,
Basalt flows at slightly in excess of 800 degrees C. (complete melt at 1100
degrees). At these temperatures, the moisture in a leaf is quite capable
of solidifying the basalt, leaving an impression of what once was.