Noah's Ark near Dogubayazit, Turkey?

Books and DVDs are still being sold, and websites claim, that a boat-shaped structure in the Dogubayazit area of eastern Turkey is what remains of Noah's ark. The formation is described as being composed of petrified wood, with iron washers, rivets, and brackets that held the ark walls together, and anchor stones that served to stabilize the ark. While remains of Noah's ark could conceivably be found at another site, more careful examination of this particular formation shows that (a) the "petrified wood" is actually basalt; (b) the supposed iron washers, rivets, and brackets are cemented grains of magnetite containing manganese and titanium; and (c) the stones labeled as "anchors" naturally occur in the area. Initial findings to this effect were noted by this author in the Journal of Geosciences Education 44 (1996): 439-44. Considering ongoing claims for the Dogubayazit formation, this article more thoroughly describes the geology with additional argument, figures, and information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]