Death Valley National Park
Geology Image Gallery - Miscellany

Desert varnish

Photo from NPS archives.

Underside of a rock with desert varnish. Microorganisms deposit thin films of manganese compounds as part of their life processes. These combine with clays and stain the gravel differing shades of red and brown. This stain is desert varnish.

Bighorn sheep petroglyph

Photo from NPS archives.

Death Valley's native peoples used rocks with dark desert varnish to carve the stories of their lives.

Desert pavement

Photo by Menning, NPS.

Click here for more information on desert pavement.

Striped Butte

Photo from NPS archives.

Polygonal cracks in a salt pan, with human for scale.

Migmatite basement rock.

Photo by Marli Miller