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Microchemistry of small desert varnish samples, western New South Wales, Australia
Author(s) -
Dragovich D.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9837(199805)23:5<445::aid-esp859>3.0.co;2-e
Subject(s) - varnish , outcrop , geology , electron microprobe , mineralogy , sorting , substrate (aquarium) , geochemistry , oceanography , materials science , composite material , coating , computer science , programming language
The chemistry of varnish scrapings from within and adjacent to rock engravings on sandstone outcrops in semiarid Australia was analysed using an electron microprobe (WDS mode). Small‐area analyses were used to reduce potential contamination from identifiable within‐varnish detrital grains and from substrate material. Ratios of (Ca + K):Ti were compared for rock engravings on older and younger rock surfaces, and between different engraving styles. Although ratios from varnish on the older surface were lower than for the younger surface, differences were not statistically significant. Sorting of analyses for potentially anomalous amounts of minor elements had little effect on the ranking of individual ratio values. Rankings of within‐engraving ratio values were generally in accord with relative age expectations but differences between samples were not significant, with the chemical variability of varnish being high even without the contribution of discernible detrital inclusions. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.