Fascinating stuff, and exciting; but I felt compelled to fix some of it. Petrified wood is made where volcanic ash is laid down AND where Yellowstone-like hot, bubbling steampots of slurry break down into kaolinite, which then goes into solution in acidic, brackish pools.
Anyway, petrified wood is my passion, and I know for a fact it is created in a relatively short time (otherwise there'd be no wood left to petrify; plus experiments have been done showing significant quartz formation within 15 years).
You are right. Have you seen the picture of the iron ladder in a cave that is completely covered over in stone?
” turned to stone over millions of yearsabout 75 years”
At least 5 “extinct” volcanoes within 50 miles as the crow flies.