Desert Varnish

Cliffs and boulders sometimes look like they've been painted dark red, brown, or black. This coating grows very slowly over thousands of years and is called rock varnish

Learn more about rock varnish. Choose an option that fits your need:

Go to the Basics Page.
Go to the More Detail Page.
Go to the In Depth Page.

Try the Rock Varnish: Wanted Dead or Alive? WebQuest.

| Living Things | NatureScapes |

Note: All photographs taken with a digital camera in Arizona and Utah.
Developed by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson, 04/02.