Rocks in arid to semi-arid regions all over the world have a naturally occurring coating
called “rock varnish” or “desert varnish” on their surface. These lustrous, black-to-brown …

Bare rock surfaces in dry to semiarid places of the world often host a black-brown accretion
rich in Mn and Fe known as rock varnish. The varnish surface presents an ideal environment …

Abstract The Union Territory of Ladakh, located in the northwestern Himalayan region, is
highly vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic hazards like earthquakes, landslides, snow …

The Ladakh Himalaya is a part of the Indus Suture Zone and represents the Indian–Eurasian
boundary in the western arid‐Himalaya. The first‐order geomorphological landscapes in the …

Rock varnish, a dark-coloured natural feature rich in manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), and clay
minerals that forms on rock surfaces and subsurface rock fractures in extremely dry and cold …

Twelve lacustrine sediment samples from a relict lake in the Kalla Glacier valley were co-
dated using AMS radiocarbon (14C) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating …

The Himalayan orogeny is among the youngest mountain belts on the earth's surface. The
dynamic landscape of the Himalaya accommodates plentiful eminent geological …

Archaeological, botanical, and faunal data from across the Inner Asian Mountains have
revealed a range of agricultural and pastoral adaptations to environments previously …

The concept of habitability has evolved significantly over the past few decades, driven by
increased knowledge of microbial life in extreme environments on Earth. When assessing a …