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desert varnish

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.10 sec.

desert varnish

 or patina

Thin, dark red to black mineral coating (generally iron and manganese oxides and silica) deposited on pebbles and rocks on the surface of desert regions. As dew and soil moisture brought to the surface by capillary action evaporate, their dissolved minerals are deposited on the surface. Wind abrasion removes the softer salts and polishes the surface to a glossy finish. Both high evaporation rates and sufficient precipitation are necessary for desert varnish to form.
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The coloring is called desert varnish, which takes thousands of years of form.
RADIOACTIVE TUNNEL VISION NUCLEAR WASTE SITE A HOT ISSUE by Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
Their exteriors, embedded with rough copper slag from a mine 70 miles away, echo the patina known as desert varnish on the petroglyphs.
Dam good by Lamprecht, Barbara / The Architectural Review
Ancient artists created petroglyphs by scraping away a dark, mineral-rich coating called desert varnish (SN: 1/3/04, p.
Laser scanners map rock art by Science News
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