The survival of desert varnish in subsurface positions, western New South Wales, Australia

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Abstract
Desert varnish occurs in arid western New South Wales. Microprobe analysis has shown that the chemical composition of this varnish lies within the ranges reported for varnish in United States. Field observations suggest that desert varnish near the soil surface may be destroyed by weathering, but that varnish at depths of more than 15 cm can survive burial and later be exhumed. Varnish has also survived coating by calcium carbonate; a corrected age of about 5000 years for the carbonate indicates long‐term persistence of varnish under this form of ‘burial’. In some situations, presently‐exposed varnish may have a complex history of burial and exhumation following initial subaerial formation.