Abstract
Desert varnish is widespread in arid Australia, and occurs as a thin often discontinuous manganese-enriched surface coating near Broken Hill, western New South Wales. Radiocarbon dating of calcium carbonate associated with this varnish indicated that major varnishing took place before about 10,000 years B.P., with varnish-forming conditions continuing during the Holocene. Small patches of varnish on secondary carbonate, on non-varnished rock and sometimes on existing varnish suggest that current environmental conditions allow for some varnish formation. Loss of varnish has resulted from within-channel abrasion, weathering by lichens, minor breakdown of varnish substrates, and localized weathering, possibly related to a previously higher soil surface.
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