[meteorite-list] Science page update / desert varnish on meteorites

[Paul H.]

Greg wrote:

“I’m wondering if the formation of desert varnish 
can vary depending on different biological and 
environmental factors. Perhaps in one area a 
similar thickness may take a shorter period of 
time.  100,000 years is a long time, but I guess 
not that long in geological time.  This is interesting 
in that some meteorites may have been sitting 
on earth for a very long time.”

Below are some interesting pages about desert varnish:

Rock Varnish (desert varnish): An Internet Primer for 
Rock Art Research by Ronald I. Dorn , Professor of 
Geography Arizona State University 

http://alliance.la.asu.edu/dorn/VarnishPages/VarnishPrimerIntro.html

Chapter 8 in Geochemical Sediments and Landscapes
http://alliance.la.asu.edu/dorn/VarnishPages/GeochemicalSediments/GeochemicalSediments.html
http://alliance.la.asu.edu/dorn/DornCh08.pdf

Note: the  above URL to Chap. 8,  has numerous links to 
PDF file of papers  about rock varnish.

Desert Varnish
http://alliance.la.asu.edu/dorn/DesertVarnishDornFormat.pdf

Varnish Microlamination (VML) Dating

http://www.vmldating.com/

PDF files of various publication about rock varnish can
be downloaded from “Selected Publications on 
Methodology and Application of VML Dating” at:

http://www.vmldating.com/selectedpapers.html

Yours,

Paul  H.