Groundwater in the Gobi Desert rises due to capillary action and then evaporates. The dark brown oxides of several metals (e.g., iron, manganese, and chromium) in the water are deposited on the surface of the gravel like paint, which is called ‘desert varnish’ (Fig. 9).
Desert varnish – Badain Jaran Desert (after Dong Zhibao)
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this entry
Cite this entry
(2020). Desert Varnish. In: Chen, A., Ng, Y., Zhang, E., Tian, M. (eds) Dictionary of Geotourism. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_498
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_498
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-13-2537-3
Online ISBN: 978-981-13-2538-0
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences