Desert pavement

Desert pavement showing desert varnish on the pebbles; gibber plains of central Australia
Desert pavement showing wind scour on the cobbles; Mojave Desert of southern California

A desert pavement, also called reg (in western Sahara), serir (in eastern Sahara), gibber (in Australia), or saï (in central Asia)[1] is a desert surface covered with closely packed, interlocking angular or rounded rock fragments of pebble and cobble size. They typically top alluvial fans.[2] Desert varnish collects on the exposed surface rocks over time.

Geologists debate the mechanics of pavement formation and their age.

  1. ^ "Hamada, Reg, Serir, Gibber, Saï". Springer Reference. 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-23.
  2. ^ Sharp, Robert (1997). Geology Underfoot: In Death Valley and Owens Valley. Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company. pp. 119–130. ISBN 9780878423620.