September 2009 – Colors in Color Country
2 Comments Published August 27th, 2009 in Color Country Information, Southern Utah Wildlife and Nature.One Of Our Rock Stars In Full Makeup
Some lucky homeowner in Color Country will have this rock in their backyard.
That’s lichens on the rock. According to Wikipedia, “Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic association of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner, usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium.”
Back in the 60’s, we would have called it a commune. They’re a metaphor for a lot of things we should be: cooperative, colorful, and they don’t require too much of the earth. One thing they do require is clean air. The kind of pollution that you find in cities kills them. That’s why you can still find such a beautiful spread here.
another good one — thanks
isn’t the darker type what is called desert varnish?
Ummm … I don’t think so.
I’m not completely certain what you’re looking at, but the desert varnish I’m familiar with is smooth and hard. It looks like varnish (a really poor grade of varnish). This rock is wind eroded and I’ve never seen desert varnish form on that kind of surface.
As Wikipedia notes …
“Desert varnish forms only on physically stable rock surfaces that are no longer subject to frequent precipitation, fracturing or wind abrasion.”
Desert Varnish take many centuries to form. That’s why the petroglyphs created by chipping through desert varnish look about the same now (except for vandalism of course) as they did when the Anasazi chipped them.