desert varnish
noun
: a dark coating which is found on rocks after long exposure in desert regions and whose color is due to iron and manganese oxides
Examples of desert varnish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Discolorations like these, known as desert varnish, are ubiquitous and routinely signify deposits of manganese or other minerals.
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Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 12 July 2023
Even these days, she’s known to take off on a whim to explore Red Rocks or Canyonlands National Park, hiking along streams and exploring the ruins built into canyon walls where the desert varnish has darkened the pictographs.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Nov. 2020
Will the Arches social media team continue to be able to post about bighorn sheep, desert varnish and other fascinating features of the park?
—Julie Jag, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Aug. 2022
But there are advancements being made that may allow scientists to determine dates by analyzing the desert varnish on rocks.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Jan. 2022
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Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 12 July 2023
Even these days, she’s known to take off on a whim to explore Red Rocks or Canyonlands National Park, hiking along streams and exploring the ruins built into canyon walls where the desert varnish has darkened the pictographs.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Nov. 2020
Will the Arches social media team continue to be able to post about bighorn sheep, desert varnish and other fascinating features of the park?
—Julie Jag, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Aug. 2022
But there are advancements being made that may allow scientists to determine dates by analyzing the desert varnish on rocks.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Jan. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Desert varnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desert%20varnish. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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