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I was hiking near Sedona last weekend and finally understood what 'desert varnish' actually is.
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seth_carr2mo ago
My first time seeing desert varnish was on a rock face in Capitol Reef, this dark streak that looked like someone spilled paint. I actually thought it was some kind of mineral deposit from water runoff. Learning it's a buildup from bacteria and clay over thousands of years completely blew my mind. It makes you realize how much slow, quiet work goes on in a place that seems so still.
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sage2862mo ago
Come on @seth_carr, it's just a dirty rock. You're giving way too much credit to some old bacteria.
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abbyr9622d ago
Oh great, so "desert varnish" is just nature's version of a dirty windshield that took a few thousand years to build up. Next thing you'll tell me is that patina on old statues is just rust with better PR. I guess if you wait long enough, even bacteria can be an artist.
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