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Desert varnish: evidence for cyclic deposition of manganese

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Abstract

WE have found evidence that desert-varnish coatings on rocks in the western US consist of micron-scale alternating dark and light layers that differ in manganese and iron content. We report here the first quantitative electron-microprobe analyses of desert varnish, that also show the chemical variations in these layers. In the field and laboratory we obtained new evidence that varnish covers a fresh substrate by nucleation of micron-sized patches that grow and coalesce.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195

    RANDALL STEWART PERRY & JOHN B. ADAMS

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  1. RANDALL STEWART PERRY
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  2. JOHN B. ADAMS
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PERRY, R., ADAMS, J. Desert varnish: evidence for cyclic deposition of manganese. Nature 276, 489–491 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/276489a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/276489a0

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