ERE1.14 | Cultural heritage and the environment: interaction, vulnerability, past and future changes
EDI
Cultural heritage and the environment: interaction, vulnerability, past and future changes
Co-organized by CL3.2
Convener: Luigi Germinario | Co-conveners: Alessandra Bonazza, Dr. Antonis Kalis, Beatriz Menéndez
Orals
| Fri, 28 Apr, 16:15–18:00 (CEST)
 
Room -2.16
Posters on site
| Attendance Fri, 28 Apr, 08:30–10:15 (CEST)
 
Hall X4
Posters virtual
| Attendance Fri, 28 Apr, 08:30–10:15 (CEST)
 
vHall ERE
Orals |
Fri, 16:15
Fri, 08:30
Fri, 08:30
The conservation, protection, and fruition of cultural heritage are closely related to the environmental setting and its variability. Historical objects, structures, and sites worldwide interact with a broad diversity of environments, on the surface (outdoors or indoors), underground, or underwater. As the characteristics of the Earth’s systems vary in space and time, also in view of climate change, so does the behavior of the materials shaping the cultural assets.
This session addresses the interaction between cultural heritage and the environment from the interdisciplinary perspective of geosciences, which represent a valuable support for investigating the properties and durability of the component materials (e.g., stones, ceramics, mortars, pigments, glasses, and metals); their vulnerability and changes in weathering dynamics; the influence of key environmental variables associated with climate, microclimate, and composition of air, waters, and soils; the impact of global warming, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and extreme weather events; the techniques and products to improve conservation practices; and the adaptation measures for heritage protection. This session welcomes contributions with an explicit and direct connection with environmental issues and questions. The possible research approaches include but are not limited to field and laboratory analysis and testing; damage assessment, observation, and simulation; modeling of decay and risk scenarios; strategies of monitoring and remote investigation; hardware/software design for collecting and processing environmental databases.

Orals: Fri, 28 Apr | Room -2.16

Chairpersons: Luigi Germinario, Beatriz Menéndez
16:15–16:20
16:20–16:30
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EGU23-13666
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On-site presentation
François Bourges, Bruno Lartiges, Frédéric Perrier, Dominique Genty, Rémi Losno, Stéphane Bonnet, Vincent Regard, Stéphanie Touron, Faisl Bousta, Frédéric Girault, and Pascal Foucher

The outstanding preservation of Paleolithic decorated caves is related to the buffering properties of their karstic environment. However, long-term monitoring of air/wall temperatures and gas compositions has recently revealed disruption signs in cave microclimates that had been maintained stable for hundreds of centuries.

High precision and continuous temperature data records are currently monitored in various prehistoric caves in the South of France. Such operations have been promoted since the late 1990s by the French government for risk assessment and conservation.

The most striking feature is the positive drift of underground temperatures (air and wall) which is now obvious in most sites except for Niaux Cave (> 300 m undersurface) and in the deepest parts of Mas-d’Azil and Chauvet Caves (> 50 m undersurface). In tourist caves (Pech-Merle, Mas-d’Azil, Gargas, Villars), the positive thermal trends could not be related to the energy increase brought by visitors which number is now stable, nor to the lighting systems whose energy demand was strongly reduced. In addition, the underground thermal drift nearly starts at the same time in many caves with uncertainties of +/- 1 year: 2012 for Chauvet with +0.4 °C/decade, 2011 for Pech Merle with +0.32 °C/decade, 2011 for Marsoulas Cave with +1.09 to +0.36 °C/decade from the entrance to the deep gallery, 2011 for Gargas with +0.69 °C, +0.54 °C and +0.36 °C for the deeper station. It is worth noting that a 0.3-0.4 °C thermal drift is consistent with that predicted from global warming in these regions.  The thermal drifts were already in progress when monitoring began in Villars Cave in 1996 (+0.17 °C to +0.39 °C/decade), in Mas-d’Azil in 2012 and in Bruniquel in 2015. Marsoulas (+1.09 °C/decade) and Mas-d’Azil (more than +1 °C/decade in 6 of the 16 stations) present a much higher drift rate compared with that of surface, which suggests a thermal amplification process.

As measurements are performed in heterothermal zones, the long-term thermal drifts are modulated by persisting smoothed and out-of-phase yearly variations. A notable exception is the case of Bruniquel main gallery where the temperature records show a quasi-linear increase. In that case, the decadal evolutions of temperature +0.31 °C, +0.175 °C, and +0.24 °C, are not related to the depth of monitoring stations (32 m, 55 m, and 38 m, respectively) nor to their distances from the entrance. In 2018, those drift rates induced a permanent inversion of thermal gradient in the main gallery. In Gargas, the drift rate is more pronounced in the outer parts of the karst body, thus inducing a continuous evolution of the thermal gradients within the galleries.

Such underground microclimate disruption of patrimonial caves is a warning signal of direct threat on the preservation of remains. Karst physical organization and its related underground environment are themselves legacies of past climates; the current functioning of transfer zones of karst aquifers which includes the caves, are directly dependent on the outside climate. A more comprehensive approach and modelling of possible tipping points are urgently needed for conservation issues.

How to cite: Bourges, F., Lartiges, B., Perrier, F., Genty, D., Losno, R., Bonnet, S., Regard, V., Touron, S., Bousta, F., Girault, F., and Foucher, P.: Global warming evidence in long-term temperature monitoring of heritage karstic caves, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-13666, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-13666, 2023.

16:30–16:40
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EGU23-2440
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ECS
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On-site presentation
Shane O'Neill, Simon Tett, and Kate Donovan

Change in climate extremes and the increased risk associated with human-induced global warming is apparent. Less apparent is the impact such changes may have on vulnerable systems in our society. Climate change impact assessments using state-of-the-art climate models coupled with damage information can offer actionable insight for stakeholders to better protect vulnerable systems.

Cultural heritage is an example of a system that is vulnerable to climate change, especially built cultural heritage which is directly exposed to changing climate extremes. In the UK, significant development has been achieved to better understand the potential change in climate extremes following the release of UK Climate Projections 18 (UKCP18), however, understanding of risk posed by these climate extremes to built cultural heritage is poorly constrained. How to assess and quantify this risk is in its infancy.

We have developed a new methodology building on previous work by cultural heritage experts - the Cultural Heritage Climate Risk Assessment (CHCRA) framework. The CHCRA framework focuses on combining stakeholder engagement and high-resolution climate models to develop site-specific projections of potential damage to cultural heritage assets. This integrated framework when applied with adequate information allows estimation of expected damages to cultural heritage assets through the 21st century.

We applied the CHCRCA framework to cultural heritage buildings in the Edinburgh World Heritage Site, Scotland, considering one-day extreme rainfall events. This pilot study used UKCP18 2.2 km resolution climate projections alongside qualitative and quantitative damage data obtained from multiple sources.

Importantly, UKCP18 2.2 km model is a Convection Permitting Climate Model with the ability to better represent extreme rainfall events. Furthermore, expert elicitation through interviews with practitioners from cultural heritage organisations within Edinburgh were carried out to obtain damage information specific to cultural heritage buildings in the Old and New Town Edinburgh (ONTE), part of the Edinburgh World Heritage Site. A damage function was derived based on expert elicitation and other sources.

Key findings include annual expected damage per year increases from 0.6% in the baseline period (1981-2000) to 1.5% in 2021-40 and 2.3% in 2061-80. A three-to-four-fold increase in annual expected damage to cultural heritage buildings in the ONTE is expected towards the end of the 21st century.

This is the first application of the CHCRA framework. This pilot study considered only one climate stressor, extreme one-day rainfall events. Damage at built cultural heritage is likely exacerbated and accelerated by other climate stressors, as well as non-climate related factors such as poor maintenance. Furthermore, damage caused by pluvial and/or fluvial flooding mechanisms were not taken into consideration, as well as no consideration given to reduction in risk due to adaptive measures.

This study provided insight into the changing risk posed by an impactful climate stressor to cultural heritage buildings in the ONTE. The study highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement from the outset when carrying out a climate change impact assessment. Further work may benefit from considering a more wide-ranging array of climate stressors to capture synergistic damage processes.

How to cite: O'Neill, S., Tett, S., and Donovan, K.: Extreme rainfall risk and climate change impact assessment for Edinburgh World Heritage sites, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2440, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2440, 2023.

16:40–16:50
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EGU23-8060
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On-site presentation
Aurélie Verney-Carron, Loryelle Sessegolo, Roger-Alexandre Lefèvre, and Peter Brimblecombe

A large number of stained glass windows were installed from the 13th century. During the Middle-Ages, most of glass pieces have a Si-K-Ca composition with a relatively low SiO2 content, but high content of K2O and CaO.  This chemical composition means that medieval stained glass deteriorates during environmental exposure, from climate and environmental pollution. These alterations are manifested in the form of an alteration layer and secondary phases (mainly gypsum or syngenite). The alteration layer is generally depleted in K and Ca, but rich in Si, Al and Fe. Its thickness varies up to 300 µm after 6 or 7 centuries of alteration. In order to reconstruct the alteration history and predict the deterioration of stained glass windows in the future, it is necessary to determine alteration rates as a function of the climate and environmental parameters.

Several methodologies can be used to achieve this. First, short-term exposures or laboratory experiments can assess the first stages of the alteration and short-term kinetics. From these results, dose-response functions (DRF) were established for sheltered and unsheltered rain conditions. They correlate relevant environmental factors (temperature, rain quantity, rain pH, relative humidity, SO2 concentration) with the response of the materials in terms of alteration layer thickness. The second methodology consists in laboratory experiments that aim at parametrizing kinetic laws as a function of specific parameters (temperature, pH of rain, and relative humidity). These kinetic parameters do not directly consider pollution, but they can be extrapolated over long periods and can be inputs to geochemical models. In this study, we have compared both methodologies to simulate the alteration of a model stained glass at different European sites (using data from the ICP-Materials program). Both models give good results, but the geochemical model tends to underestimate the alteration at polluted sites. This indicates that the pollution via the concentration in SO2 for example should be included to improve the model.

How to cite: Verney-Carron, A., Sessegolo, L., Lefèvre, R.-A., and Brimblecombe, P.: Comparison of different kinds of models to simulate the alteration of medieval stained glass as a function of climate and pollution, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8060, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8060, 2023.

16:50–17:00
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EGU23-3237
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ECS
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Virtual presentation
Alessandro Sardella, Linda Canesi, Nisha Prashanth Setty, Raffaela Gaddi, and Alessandra Bonazza

The conservation and protection of cultural heritage, seen in its broadest definition, face ongoing and new challenges as a result of the impacts of slow and extreme climate changes. Therefore, there is the need of further studies and the development of improved methods in order to support decision makers and public authorities in preparing plans to manage and mitigate the correlated risks.

The present contribution aims at analysing and assessing the impacts of pollution and climate change induced extremes on the built heritage located in the historic centre of Rieti (Italy). This research has been conducted in the framework of the Interreg Central Europe Project STRENCH (STRENgthening resilience of Cultural Heritage at risk in a changing environment through proactive transnational cooperation, 2020–2022) and the National Italian Project "Piano Straordinario di Monitoraggio e Conservazione dei Beni Culturali Immobili'', coordinated by the Ministry of Culture. First, the pollutants data (NO2, SO2, O3, PM2,5 and PM10) extracted from air quality monitoring station at Rieti (IT0867A) were analysed and interpreted in accordance with the limiting values mandated by Italian law (legislative Decree 155 of 2010) for the characterization of air quality. Further, surface recession of carbonate stones for the period of 2011-2021 was calculated using Lipfert (1989) and Kucera et al. (2007) damage functions. Then, the “Risk Mapping tool for Cultural Heritage Protection” (https://www.protecht2save-wgt.eu/) was exploited: time series based on earth observation data (e.g. Copernicus C3S reanalysis and NASA GPM IMERG products), historical changes based on EOBS dataset and future hazard maps at territorial level based on outputs from regional and global climate models (EURO-CORDEX initiative) were investigated.

Obtained results reveal that a constant slight decline trend of pollutants annual average is shown over the years from 2011 to 2019. During 2020, lower values for each pollutant component were observed, partially attributed to the lockdown caused by the Covid19 pandemic. It was also observed that each investigated gaseous pollutant and PM fractions were within the limits regulated by the Italian Law.

Regarding the surface recession analysis, it was observed that it has been decreasing over the past 10 years from 2010 with slight increases occasionally. Also here, a decline in 2020 attributed to the lockdown is clearly observable. Moreover, most of particles contributing to PM can be certainly attributed to vehicular traffic, among anthropogenic sources, and are therefore in the fine fraction.

Finally, climate future projections, with spatial resolution of 12x12km, show a general increase of the changes of the extreme indices taken into consideration (R20mm and Rx5day); the biggest variations are typically foreseen for the far future (2071-20100), under the pessimistic scenario (RCP 8.5), highlighting a high likelihood of heavy rain and flooding risk in the area of Rieti.

How to cite: Sardella, A., Canesi, L., Prashanth Setty, N., Gaddi, R., and Bonazza, A.: Impact Assessment of Pollution and Climate-Induced Damage on Historic Centre of Rieti (Italy), EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-3237, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3237, 2023.

17:00–17:10
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EGU23-11948
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ECS
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On-site presentation
Mathilde Ropiquet, Aurélie Verney-Carron, and Anne Chabas

Since the Industrial revolution and due to increasing anthropogenic emissions, the composition of the atmosphere has been modified, leading to climate change and pollution. The impacts of pollution were depicted through paintings and writing from the beginning of the 19th century, but pollution measurements are relatively recent. In order to obtain ancient air pollution data, proxies in urban area need to be found.

Black crusts formed on limestone and marble monuments in urban area seem to be a good candidate as local proxy. Mainly composed of gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O), they are a chemical alteration pattern resulting from the reaction of the dissolution of the calcite (CaCO3) of the stone and of sulfation by sulphur dioxide (SO2) from the atmosphere. Particulate matter accumulates in the newly formed gypsum layer in sheltered area from the rain, thus giving the black crust a passive sampler potential.

To use black crusts as past air pollution archives, samples were collected at Père Lachaise cemetery (Paris) on ancient, dated (1820-1887) and unrestored limestone or marble tombs. Different types of analyses were performed to study sample morphology (by Optical Microscope), particulate matter (by Scanning Electron Microscopy) and chemical composition (especially major elements and trace metals by ICP-AES, LA-ICP-MS). Results underline two important features to use black crusts as past air pollution archives. First, the low variability of chemical composition of black crusts from Père Lachaise cemetery highlights that the black crusts are representative of the site and register the background pollution. Then, the morphology (laminar vs. dendritic) of black crusts is a key parameter to sample black crusts as the stratigraphy is much better preserved in laminar black crusts.

How to cite: Ropiquet, M., Verney-Carron, A., and Chabas, A.: Selection of relevant black crusts samples as ancient air pollution archives, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-11948, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11948, 2023.

17:10–17:20
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EGU23-12449
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ECS
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On-site presentation
Marie De Groeve, Eda Kale, Scott Allan Orr, and Tim De Kock

Built heritage is rich in cultural and economic values and is an essential part of urban environments. These buildings are abundant in city centres that have been the site of development for several centuries. This has produced a dense environment, exhibiting strong urban heat island effects. Green initiatives are increasingly being implemented to mitigate current climate stressors and improve the health and well-being of residents. However, built heritage is often excluded from these approaches due to concerns about their impact on materials and structural integrity, which is poorly understood. 

This research scopes the technical compatibility of vertical greening with built heritage in an urban environment regarding the degradation of historic building materials. Vertical greening here is understood to include plants, rooted in the ground, growing along a vertical surface by either attaching themselves to the façade or trellising. Investigating the impact of vertical greening on the local microclimate by monitoring case studies, lab experiments and analysing current literature can help us understand how vertical greening affects common forms of degradation caused by salts, frost, bio-activity and air pollution. Each method has its own approach to understanding the relationship of vertical greening with built heritage and is complementary to the others. The lab experiments explore the three main factors impacted by vertical greening such as temperature and relative humidity, incoming solar irradiation and precipitation exposure. Temperature and relative humidity are inseparably connected with each other and therefore analysed together. The impact of vertical greening on the aforementioned environmental parameters is investigated separately to provide better insights into those microclimatic changes that determine the risk of weathering of historic building materials.

How to cite: De Groeve, M., Kale, E., Orr, S. A., and De Kock, T.: The technical relationship between vertical greening and built heritage, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-12449, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-12449, 2023.

17:20–17:30
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EGU23-8442
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On-site presentation
Oliver Sass and Stefanie Fruhmann

Moisture and salts cause considerable damage to built and rock-hewn heritage. Rock moisture is a key factor for numerous decay processes, but there is limited knowledge of salt and moisture distribution because measurements of spatial and temporal moisture distribution still remain challenging. The medieval cave town of Uplistsikhe (Georgia) is hewn out of very soft Lower Miocene sandstone and is a typical example of a heritage site suffering from progressive decay. We present data on moisture and salt distribution derived from a multi-method approach, including microwave sensor monitoring (MW-mon; continuously over 2 yrs), microwave handheld sensors (MW), 2D-resistivity profiles (ERT), rock sampling by drilling, and salt extraction by paper pulp poultices (PPP).

Microwave monitoring was applied for the first time (to our knowledge) in a long-term monitoring of heritage sites. We used equipment from hf-sensor (Germany) with two types of microwave reflectivity sensors penetrating approx. 7 cm and 13 cm deep, respectively. The sensors were installed inside and outside of two prominent caves (Grand Hall and Long Hall). MW, ERT, PPP and drilling were carried out in four caves (the two mentioned plus Blackberry Hall and Teatron). Careful laboratory calibration using samples from the site was necessary to produce quantitative results for MW-mon, MW and ERT.  

MW-mon showed pronounced annual fluctuation with highest moisture saturation occurring in summer. The moisture maximum in the caves lags 2 months behind the spring precipitation maximum and might be partly caused by air humidity condensation amplified by salts. Heavy rainfall events cause additional moisture pulses by seeping through the rock or by capillary rise. Spatial moisture distribution derived from MW shows relatively dry rock outside the caves and different patterns of moisture ingress into the caves: Capillary rise from the base, ingress through fractured or otherwise water-permeable areas of the roofs or back walls. The spatial patterns are confirmed by ERT; however, calculated moisture saturation differs between MW and ERT due to electrical conductivity effects of salty pore water.

All drill samples from the caves are significantly saltier on the respective surfaces, which points to the rate of evaporation being smaller than the outward migration of salts. Outside the caves, flaking of thicker layers (several cm) point to deeper layers of salt concentration caused by higher evaporation from the surface; flaking at the "lips" above the caves is probably also amplified by stronger temperature and moisture fluctuations. The main ions everywhere are  Ca2+ and SO42- (subordinate K+) while at the strongly flaking surfaces of Grand Hall, Na+, Cl- and NO32- are also present. Summing up, the results show very diverse and complex patterns of moisture and salt distribution at an apparently homogeneous site.

How to cite: Sass, O. and Fruhmann, S.: Spatiotemporal rock moisture distribution at the medieval cave town of Uplistsikhe, Georgia, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8442, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8442, 2023.

17:30–17:40
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EGU23-6252
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ECS
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On-site presentation
Elijah Edet Nkitnam, Alexis Maineult, and Jérôme Wassermann

The prospect for the sustainability of the Gallo-Roman archeological site located in Genainville (France), where relics and artifacts dated to the 2rd century CE have been excavated is threaten by groundwater ingression. The in-situ building heritage materials and structures comprising a two cellea temple and an amphitheater made of limestones, are submitted all days to rising and changing groundwater levels; water being the main agent or vector of damage processes (salt weathering or freeze-thaw cycles). As part of a multi-disciplinary effort to support archeological expeditions and conserve the site structures. We report the results of groundwater monitoring and hydrogeological studies as well as tidal subsurface analysis executed to quantitatively evaluate hydraulic and geo-mechanical characteristics of the subsurface sequences toward a nondestructive approach. Continuous groundwater level data recorded in three wells in the archeological site were decomposed into constituent events that impact the observed fluctuations. The groundwater levels and barometric pressure data were acquired at 60 seconds intervals to study the response of the aquifer to strain and stress prevalence at the site. Using the method of regression deconvolution, the response to barometric pressure was disentangled from the measured water levels. Theoretical Earth tides parameters were computed using the PyGtide code, based on the ETERNA PREDICT program, at intervals of 1 minute. Harmonic analysis of the raw and filtered data using the classical Fast Fourier transform (FFT), and Singular Spectral Analysis (SSA) identify M2, S2, K1 and O1 tidal constituents as the dominant amplitudes. The SSA technique has the advantage of resolving the events into individual strands compare to the spectra of the composite data produced by the FFT. Hence, an event decomposed in the data is isolated in terms of it frequency and amplitude, and visualized. The K1 and S2 harmonic constituents were present in the filtered and raw data sets with different amplitudes. The amplitude response method was used to compute the poroelastic properties of the aquifer and characterize the subsurface heterogeneity. The model identified a semi-confined aquifer as the main groundwater storage system in the site.

Keyword: Heritage site, groundwater ingress, harmonic constituents, hydraulic properties

How to cite: Nkitnam, E. E., Maineult, A., and Wassermann, J.: Investigations of shallow aquifer groundwater systems of a Gallo-roman anthropized site using earth tide analysis, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-6252, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-6252, 2023.

17:40–17:50
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EGU23-5685
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ECS
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Virtual presentation
Eda Kale, Marie De Groeve, and Tim De Kock

Built heritage, which gives identity to the urban fabric and fosters the collective memory of the community, is at risk of deterioration due to climate stressors. These stressors result from rapid urbanisation, covering surfaces with hard materials, and a disconnection from nature.

Today, nature-based solutions have become a growing trend as a way to reconnect with nature and mitigate the impact of climate change. Green infrastructures (GI), in particular, offer numerous environmental and social benefits, especially in dense urban areas, including improved air quality, reduced heat island effect, increased biodiversity and improved stormwater management, and stress-reducing and restorative effects on individuals.

Although built heritage sites form an important part of the urban fabric, they are often excluded from this green transition due to the risk of invasive species damaging historic buildings' structural and aesthetic integrity. Therefore, there is a lack of research analysing rigorously designed examples of GI in a historical context.

This study aims to narrow the focus to the sociocultural perception and acceptance of GI in a historical context. We will analyse spatial-perceptual patterns and socio-cultural motivations behind the deliberate use of GI in this context, using biophilic design principles and architectural perception theories as frameworks. Using GIS monitoring as a methodology, we will map and collect inventory data on real-life examples of GI applied to historical buildings in Belgium-Antwerp. The goal is to understand the correlations between spatial-perceptual factors and the use of GI in built heritage contexts.

How to cite: Kale, E., De Groeve, M., and De Kock, T.: Exploring the Socio-Cultural Compatibility of Green Infrastructures in Built Heritage Contexts: A Case Study in Antwerp (Belgium), EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5685, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5685, 2023.

17:50–18:00
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EGU23-13243
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On-site presentation
Jürgen Moßgraber, Tobias Hellmund, and Lola Kotova

Not only ecosystems are particularly sensitive to extreme weather as a result of climate change. Historical buildings, museum’s collections and historical gardens can also be affected by extreme weather conditions. Assessing the extent to which cultural assets are endangered by such weather and climate events is an interdisciplinary task that requires the collaboration of climate scientists together with cultural heritage managers, monument conservators, restorers and engineers. However, this discussion is currently hardly taking place in Germany, both on a scientific and on policy levels.

Therefore, the BMBF-funded project KERES addresses the following questions:

  • What safety risks of our cultural heritage are caused by extreme weather events?
  • Which practical solutions need to be addressed and managed the current and emerging impacts of climate change on cultural assets in Germany?

In close cooperation with the relevant stakeholders and potential users, such as the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation (SPSG), Fraunhofer IOSB is building a web-based knowledge platform that combines the research results and best practices for adaptation and mitigation measures of the historical buildings and historical parks property. This aims to create the greatest possible degree of user orientation so that the knowledge platform can be used sustainably in the long term. This platform is able to collect and integrate multisource information in order to effectively provide complete and updated situational awareness and decision support for innovative measurements improving cultural heritage resilience, in particular new solutions for maintenance and conservation. It is based on the open source; easily configurable and extendable. It can be accessed by the wide range of users via the web interface.

Several levels of data integration, aggregation and linking are aggregated:

  • integration of expert knowledge,
  • connection of sensors for comprehensive monitoring

and reporting,

  • data analysis of complex processes with an open interface

for easy integration of new algorithms,

  • semantic and geographic linking of analysis data and
  • multiple domain information.

The backbone of this information network is an ontology, which connects the data of the different domains, like cultural heritage, climate change, environmental data, crisis management, regulations, sensor data management, buildings, materials and many more. The platform is flanked by two other applications, such as a planning tool for the evacuation of art objects:

  • This is a tool for creating route maps for the fire brigade to evacuate cultural objects.
  • The decision-maker supports finding individual measures against damage caused by climate change.

The applications for preventive and reactive measures to deal with potential or acute damage situations are examined as well. The designed methods are tested for five case studies including historical buildings and historical gardens in Germany.

How to cite: Moßgraber, J., Hellmund, T., and Kotova, L.: IT support for climate resilient cultural heritage - examples from the KERES project, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-13243, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-13243, 2023.

Posters on site: Fri, 28 Apr, 08:30–10:15 | Hall X4

Chairpersons: Luigi Germinario, Beatriz Menéndez
X4.118
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EGU23-1054
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ECS
Luigi Germinario, Isabella Moro, and Claudio Mazzoli

The impact of climate change on cultural assets represents a topical subject of scientific research, although spotlighting heritage sites on land while often neglecting the vulnerability of the underwater world. The WATERISKULT project (https://wateriskult.geoscienze.unipd.it), funded by the European Union under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, aims at filling that gap. The project will provide the first quantitative assessment of the risk to underwater cultural heritage, with a focus on archaeological stone, a material part of countless remains of ancient cities and ship cargoes sunken in the oceans. This contribution introduces WATERISKULT by presenting its layout and first research activities, based on an interdisciplinary approach (including petrography, oceanography, analytical chemistry, marine biology, hydraulic engineering, and underwater archaeology) and a mixed field and laboratory experimentation. The key-factors of climate change under investigation involve ocean acidification, sea level rise, ocean warming, and extreme weather events. Moreover, the causes and effects of current deterioration of archaeological stone materials are being explored, considering the Mediterranean Sea as pilot area. The research results are expected to help assessing the observed and predicted decay trends of underwater heritage sites, constrained by the diverse characteristics of the component materials and submarine environments.

How to cite: Germinario, L., Moro, I., and Mazzoli, C.: Assessing the climate change risk to underwater cultural heritage: the EU-funded WATERISKULT project, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-1054, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-1054, 2023.

X4.119
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EGU23-14025
Beatriz Menendez, Julian Esteban Cantillo, and Benjamin Quesada

Salts are widely present in all porous building materials. Their chemical composition, degree of hydration and crystalline phase as well as their abundance and location in the building are highly variable. In addition, these parameters depend on the type of material, the location and environmental factors such as climate, air pollution or groundwater composition.  The crystallization of salts inside porous materials depends on the nature of the solutions present in the pores and the conditions under which it occurs. Environmental, climatic and pollution conditions have changed in the past and continue to change today.

In this work we will estimate the changes of the potential salt weathering in vernacular cultural heritage in Europe and archaeological sites in Latin America, in particular in the selected regions of the European project SCORE (Sustainable COnservation and REstoration of built cultural heritage 2021-2024). In order to determine how future climatic conditions may affect salt weathering in these sites, climatic conditions in different models, based on scientific literature, will be used. Salt weathering will be estimated for different salts: Na2SO4, NaCl, and mixture of salt.

For temperatures between 0 and 30 ° C, the solubility of sodium chloride is almost constant (around 26% by mass) while that of sodium sulfate is very variable (between 5% and 20% by mass). Changes in temperature will induce precipitation/dissolution more easily for sodium sulphate than for sodium chloride. Similar conclusions can be drawn for changes in relative humidity in the case of crystals. In the case of sodium sulphate, the crystalline phase changes between the anhydrous salt (thenardite) and the decahydrated salt (mirabilite) and the deliquescence will depend on both temperature and relative humidity. In the case of sodium chloride with a single degree of hydration at temperatures above 0°C, the deliquescence is almost independent of temperature, with a relative humidity of almost constant equilibrium around 75%. In general, salts that have only one state of hydration have a lower capacity of degradation than salts with several phases of hydration. Phase diagrams will be employed to quantify the weathering induced by thee salts.

In nature as well as in buildings, it is common to find associations of salts more than pure salts, which complicates the study of the dependence of salt crystallization on environmental conditions. The variety of salts that can be formed by crystallization of solutions containing several different anions and cations is extremely important. The behavior of mixed solutions is much more complicated than that of solutions containing a single species of cation and anion. For complex solutions, the crystallization pathways as a function of composition and environmental conditions cannot be directly deduced from that of the salts taken separately. Thermodynamic models can be very useful for modeling the sequence and conditions of salt crystallization in a solution. We used the ECOS-RUNSALT model to calculate the evolution of salt volume as a function of temperature and relative humidity conditions to estimate the weathering produced by complex solutions.

How to cite: Menendez, B., Esteban Cantillo, J., and Quesada, B.: Climate change impact of salt weathering on vernacular and archaeological cultural heritage building materials in Europe and Latin America, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-14025, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-14025, 2023.

X4.120
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EGU23-12934
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ECS
Federica Bubola, Eleonora Balliana, Chiara Coletti, Claudia Cecamore, Claudio Parisi Presicce, and Claudio Mazzoli

In recent years, the control of the micro-climate in museum environments or in historical buildings has assumed a role of great importance for the protection of the artefacts exhibited and for planning cost-effective and strategic preservation policy. The process of degradation indeed, defined as a result of progressive and cumulative material decay, strongly depends by environmental variables and their changes. Rapid changes and/or strong gradients in temperature and/or relative humidity, are the main causes of internal stress and of material surface detachments. Compared to new museums, historical ones often do not dispose of ideal conservation parameters, and they need specific conservation environments, considering the so-called historical climate, i.e. the microclimate to which the Cultural Heritage has adapted over the time. This is the case of the Museum of Roman Civilisation (Rome), which has been closed since 2014 and hosts a huge and valuable collection of plaster casts, such as those of the Trajan’s Column made by Napoleon III in 1861-1862 and gifted from Vatican City to Rome City Hall in 1953. In view of the imminent museum reopening and restoration, it is essential to define the actual level of microclimate quality, compared to the expected one, considering also economic and regulatory aspects and the future welfare of the artefacts. The research is focused on the response of the materials to the micro-climate by evaluating the incidence of temperature and relative humidity, presumably the main chemical and physical degradation factors for the plaster casts. A multidisciplinary diagnostic approach (i.e. Hyperspectral Imaging, Raman Spectroscopy, Infrared Spectroscopy) is also planned to characterise the constituent materials, to suppose the manufacturing techniques of the casts and to identify the degradation forms. The analysis of the complex interaction between the dynamics of the climate and the need for the conservation of the artefacts under conditions of maximum stability represents the starting point for proposing a sustainable restoration of the Trajan’s Column plaster casts of the Museum of Roman Civilisation and a future exhibition project that will allow their valorisation and exposure.

How to cite: Bubola, F., Balliana, E., Coletti, C., Cecamore, C., Parisi Presicce, C., and Mazzoli, C.: Microclimatic monitoring of the plaster casts of the Trajan’s Column in the Museum of Roman Civilisation (Rome), EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-12934, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-12934, 2023.

X4.121
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EGU23-13699
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ECS
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Eugenio Segabinazzi, Teresa Salvatici, Irene Centauro, Sara Calandra, and Carlo Alberto Garzonio

Assessing weathering damage in Arenitic Rock using Non-Destructive Testing: the case study of the stone coats of arms of Palazzo Ricasoli in Florence 

The conservation of architectural heritage often involves studying the effects of weathering on stone materials exposed to polluted environments with characteristics unfavorable to their preservation. The decay phenomena that occur in urban environments can lead to destructive effects on stone material, resulting in the need for specific analysis to assess the mechanical properties of these artifacts. 

In this study, we analyzed three stone coats of arms that decorate the facade of Palazzo Ricasoli in Florence using non-destructive diagnostic techniques (NDTs) to assess their degree of weathering.  

Palazzo Ricasoli is a historic Renaissance palace, located in the center of Florence, that features three stone coats of arms on its façade that are currently in critical condition, showing signs of very advanced degradation. The stone of which they are composed is a type of local sandstone rock commonly used in Florentine historical architecture. 

To investigate the properties of the material we used in situ techniques, such Sonic test and 3D scanning. The results obtained with these techniques were then compared with those obtained from laboratory analysis of micro-samples using methods such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), and optical microscopy.  

Using NTDs we were able to gather data and insights on the mechanical properties of weathered rock used in historical buildings, obtaining crucial information that can be used to develop appropriate and detailed conservation strategies to ensure the long-term stability of these materials in their environmental conditions.

How to cite: Segabinazzi, E., Salvatici, T., Centauro, I., Calandra, S., and Garzonio, C. A.: Assessing weathering damage in Arenitic Rock using Non-Destructive Testing: the case study of the stone coats of arms of Palazzo Ricasoli in Florence, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-13699, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-13699, 2023.

X4.122
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EGU23-13158
Ákos Török, Bendek Logó, and Annamária Kis

The geology of the region strongly influences the construction materials of Medieval structures and, consequently, the available raw materials. The current study focuses on the use and vulnerability of various lithotypes and renders in a Medieval Ruined Chuch in West Central Hungary, close to Lake Balaton. The church was constructed in the 13th century and was rebuilt in several periods using various lithotypes and renders. The identification of primary lithologies followed the generation of point clouds by Terrestrial Laser Scanner and the drawing of walls. More than ten various stone types were found, including Jurassic cherty limestone, cemented Triassic limestone (Muschelkalk), basalt tuff, basalt, red Permian sandstone, grey Tertiary sandstone, highly porous Miocene limestone, and travertine. The properties of stones and condition assessment were made by using non-destructive on-site strength tests such Schmidt hammer and Duroskop. Micro-drilling technique was also applied to assess the strength parameters of renders: medieval lime-based mortars, 20th-century portland cement based mortars. Small samples were also taken for laboratory analyses. Our studies suggest that the application of portland cement bearing renders in the 20th century caused significant damage to the structure, accelerating weathering processes. Medieval lime mortars are relatively durable and show smaller-scale alterations. The use of various lithotypes leads to differential weathering of the structure. The long-term preservation of this building depends on the use of appropriate renders and the refurbishment of wall sections that are structurally unstable.

How to cite: Török, Á., Logó, B., and Kis, A.: The use and vulnerability of medieval masonries in Balaton region, Hungary, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-13158, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-13158, 2023.

X4.123
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EGU23-11011
Chiaki Oguchi

Salt weathering of building stone is a major cause of loss of historic structures. Many geoheritage sites including stone heritage and geomorphosites have been damaged by this process. In nearly two centuries, research and observation relating salt weathering have accumulated. These studies could be organized focusing on theories, mechanisms, experimental methods, and research tools. This presentation introduce by reviewing many, though not enough, studies to summarize the research history of salt weathering, including the results of subsequent studies, especially focused on an important mechanism of salt weathering, crystallization pressure. Since the concept of crystallization was first proposed in the early 20th century, many equations have been proposed. However, in order to apply them correctly, it is important to consider the type of salt weathering and the surrounding environment, as well as the type and properties of salt and rock (rock properties), and to select and apply the proposed model according to the situation. Although salt weathering studies have been done in a wide variety of research fields, appropriate collaboration among disciplines will lead to meaningful conservation and will be used for practical problems in the future.

How to cite: Oguchi, C.: Evaluation of salt weathering equations. – a review, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-11011, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11011, 2023.

X4.124
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EGU23-5786
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ECS
Clément Mathieu, Jérôme Wassermann, Pierre M. Adler, Sébastien Péralta, Jean-Louis Gallias, Ronan L. Hébert, and Philippe Bromblet

Salt weathering is a main cause of damage in building heritage materials. Despite the large amount of research on this topic, the mechanism of damaging processes remains not fully understood in particular at the pore scale where the salt crystallization and dissolution occur. For this reason, we propose an innovative approach combining damage proxy measurements at pore-scale using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Raman spectrometry and multi-scale numerical modelling, performed during weathering cycles. Imbibition-evaporation cycles are performed on carbonate stones (Savonnières and Saint Maximin limestones) with a 0.1 mol/L sodium sulfate solution at controlled room temperature and relative humidity. The stone samples are especially designed for the measurements at the pore-scale. Cylinder of 1.6 cm diameter and 1.5 cm thickness have been coated with very viscous epoxy resin. Then the two sides of the cylinder have been polished to obtained two free surfaces that allow the fluid circulation in the sample and the measurements. After each weathering cycle, nanoindentation experiments are performed on representative areas of several hundreds of square micrometers in order to monitor the mechanical properties evolution. A force of the µN order is applied in order to stay in the elastic deformation regime. Young modulus values can be then deduced from the slope of the force curves that occurs during the cantilever deflection. With this method, the effect of salt weathering on the mechanical properties of stone minerals is investigated at the pore scale and with no impact of the measurement on the phases structure (reversible indentations). The AFM results are then coupled with chemical Raman mapping to identify the present phases and assign them their mechanical properties. The obtained experimental data are then used in numerical modeling, to generate a numerical Young modulus field with the same properties than the experimental field. Finally, a new medium with higher dimensions will be generated to compare the results with the macro-scale observations on building heritage stones. AFM characterization shows that changes occurred on the topography of the samples between the first and the third alteration cycles. They are of the order of several tens of nanometers and correspond either to salt crystals deposits or in some cases to the loss of material that took place between the second and the third cycle. A decrease of the Young modulus is observed after each cycle that is of the order of 2 GPa between the first and the second cycles. More significant changes are observed after the third cycle especially in some areas where a decrease up to 3 to 4 GPa is estimated.

How to cite: Mathieu, C., Wassermann, J., Adler, P. M., Péralta, S., Gallias, J.-L., Hébert, R. L., and Bromblet, P.: Pore-scale investigation of salt weathering in building heritage materials: combining AFM nano-indentation measurements and multiscale modeling., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5786, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5786, 2023.

X4.125
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EGU23-5956
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Martin Slavík and Martin Lanzendörfer

The characteristics of the pore space are considered a key factor in susceptibility of the stone to various weathering processes. The pore size distribution can be determined by a number of methods such as mercury intrusion porosimetry or computed topography. None of them is without disadvantages, namely the mercury intrusion porosimetry – despite being very popular – is the object of some critics due to the harmful effects of the mercury. Within the last decade, there has been a growing interest in the use of non-Newtonian fluids for obtaining the pore size distribution of the porous materials (see, e.g., Abou Najm and Atallah, 2016; Rodríguez de Castro et al., 2016). The principle exploits the behaviour of non-Newtonian fluids whose viscosity changes with shear rate. This is manifested by the fact that saturated flow of different fluids under different hydraulic gradients is distributed differently in the pore space. Therefore, conducting a set of saturated flow experiments with different fluids and/or under different hydraulic gradients allows – using a numerical model – to determine an approximation of the pore size distribution.

Our goal is to test feasibility of determining the pore size distribution using saturated flow experiments with low-concentration water-xanthan solutions (<1 g/l) under relatively small hydraulic gradients (<5). We have now completed a set of laboratory experiments for three types of sandstone and we are performing a sensitivity analyses of the parameters used in the numerical model. The presented approach is low-cost, easy-to-use and can serve as an alternative to mercury intrusion porosimetry in geoscience and various cultural heritage studies.

 

The research is funded by the Czech Science Foundation [21-27291S].

 

References:

Abou Najm, M.R., Atallah, N.M., 2016: Non-Newtonian Fluids in Action: Revisiting Hydraulic Conductivity and Pore Size Distribution of Porous Media. Vadose Zone Journal, 15(19), 1–15.

Rodríguez de Castro A., Omari, A., Ahmadi-Sénichault, A., Savin, S., Madariaga, L-S., 2016: Characterizing Porous Media with the Yield Stress Fluids Porosimetry Method. Transport in Porous Media, 114, 213–233.

How to cite: Slavík, M. and Lanzendörfer, M.: Obtaining pore size distribution of porous stone using non-Newtonian fluids, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5956, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5956, 2023.

X4.126
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EGU23-16553
|
ECS
|
Vendula Natherová, Richard Přikryl, Daniela Řimnáčová, Martin Racek, and Jiřina Přikrylová

Granitic rocks are generally ranked to very low porosity (open porosity of fresh, non-weathered granite should be below 1 vol. %) and durable rocks. Favourable physical properties dictate their choice for monumental works and important infrastructural projects such as bridges.

Current study focuses on detailed analysis of porosity evolution in granitic rocks used for the construction of two road bridges (making part of cultural heritage of the Czech Republic) over the Vltava River in Prague (Bohemian capital) in the second half of 19th c. After 120-150 service, many of the stone ashlars of load-bearing parts exhibit quite extensive decay phenomena; however, mostly close to the exposed surfaces. In order to understand causes of decay, several tens of samples obtained from decayed surfaces and from original source quarries were studied by various methods, namely mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and optical and scanning electron microscopy.

Based on the results, porosity of granites in the stone masonry significantly increased compared to that of source rocks: two principal types of granites show open porosity 0.53-0.82 vol. %, and 1.03-1.15 vol. % respectively. In the case of granitic samples from studied bridges, their open porosity ranged from 2.13 to 6.42 vol. %. Most of the pores rank to coarse pores and macropores (according to IUPAC terminology), content of mesopores is negligible.

Significant increase of porosity reflects dynamics of decay process in a specific microclimate in Vltava River valley and polluted atmosphere of the city. However, pre-quarrying history of granites is another important factor: the examined rock types belong to the oldest members of the Central Bohemian Plutonic Complex of Variscan age, and numerous discrete hydrothermal alteration phenomena present in the studied rocks can promote their susceptibility to decay as well.

How to cite: Natherová, V., Přikryl, R., Řimnáčová, D., Racek, M., and Přikrylová, J.: Porosity evolution of granitic rocks used for the bridge construction, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-16553, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16553, 2023.

X4.127
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EGU23-5424
Giuseppe Casula, Silvana Fais, Francesco Cuccuru, Maria Giovanna Bianchi, and Paola Ligas

The methods and the tools aimed at characterizing and analysing the carbonate materials used in the historic built heritage often follow different ways according to the different branches of applied research involved in the knowledge process. In this framework, the 3D digital models both of in situ architectural elements and of significative samples of rocks used as building materials can play an important role in relating different data and disciplines aimed at the prevention and conservation of the Cultural Heritage. Although the 3D geomatic and geophysical digital models represent privileged tools of the diagnostic analysis, they must be supported by the knowledge of the textural characteristics of the rocks under investigation with petrographic analyses. In order to study the stone materials heavily used in the historic built heritage and analyse their vulnerability to the conditions in their environment, it can be beneficial to study appropriately prepared samples and make as many measurements as necessary with different techniques. Moreover, some analyses are destructive and there is a limit to the number of samples that can be sacrificed. For this reason, in the analysis of rock samples, non-destructive techniques are constantly being improved. In this study, using a suitably implemented integrated methodology we analysed in detail samples of the carbonate rocks of the Calcari di Cagliari formation represented by Pietra Cantone, Tramezzario and Pietra Forte lithologies, mainly used in the past as construction materials for the buildings of the Historical Centre of Cagliari (Italy). Our methodology is represented by an integration of the geomatic survey carried out by structure-from-motion (SfM) digital close-range photogrammetry and the seismic tomography normally used for the in situ inspection adapted to laboratory tests on samples of the above lithologies using ultrasonic frequency signals. The rigorous metric of the geomatic 3D models was used to implement the ultrasonic survey by which internal characteristics and physical properties of the studied material are detected thanks to the spatial variations of the longitudinal velocity obtained after the tomographic inversion. The geomatic and geophysical data were complemented by an accurate analysis of the above carbonate materials by optical and scanning electron microscopy in order to detect their textural characteristics and especially the nature and distribution of their porosity. The microscopy analyses were integrated by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) to obtain further information on the pore network, particularly on the effective porosity, pores-throat diameters/radii, permeability and tortuosity of the investigated materials. All the above parameters were found to affect the geomatic and geophysical behaviour of the carbonate materials. The integration of the multi-technique data produced in this study contributes to better understand the interaction between the investigated materials and the environment.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Regione Autonoma dellaSardegna (RAS) (Sardinian Autonomous Region), Regional Law 7th August 2007, no. 7, Promotion of scientific research and technological innovation in Sardinia (Italy), Resp. Sc. S.Fais.

How to cite: Casula, G., Fais, S., Cuccuru, F., Bianchi, M. G., and Ligas, P.: Characterization of the carbonate rocks of the Calcari di Cagliari Formation using a combined petrographic, geomatic and geophysical approach., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-5424, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5424, 2023.

Posters virtual: Fri, 28 Apr, 08:30–10:15 | vHall ERE

Chairperson: Dr. Antonis Kalis
vERE.11
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EGU23-11840
Dr. Antonis Kalis, Nikos Mitro, and Dr. Angelos Amditis

Although Climate Change (CC) has already been reported to have a significant impact on historical areas hosting Cultural Heritage (CH) sites, it is still challenging to assess quantitatively and qualitatively the impact of various climatic and other parameters on the CH sites, since the specific climatic conditions at their vicinity, and the emanating effects on their structure, are difficult to grasp due to cost and regulatory barriers. In the framework of the HYPERION EU project, we address this problem by providing a holistic solution for improving resilience and sustainable reconstruction of historic areas, which integrates the use of smart IoT devices, called Smart Tags, designed to provide environmental measurements close to monuments, with a number of state-of-the-art of technologies, services and tools (e.g. advanced ML, IoT, satellite and terrestrial imaging, social networking, event, material decay and business continuity modelling), in order to develop a single decision support system which aspires to become the cornerstone for resilience and reconstruction planning for historic areas in the future.

How to cite: Kalis, Dr. A., Mitro, N., and Amditis, Dr. A.: Smart IoT sensors as part of a holistic solution for improving resilience and sustainable reconstruction of historic areas, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-11840, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11840, 2023.

vERE.12
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EGU23-15431
Elena Marrocchino, Lorenzo Ferroni, Rino Manfrini, Maria Grazia Paletta, and Chiara Telloli

Cultural heritage is an irreplaceable component of a country's socio-cultural and economic capital, valuable for community cohesion and for the creation and enhancement of social capital, economic impact and environmental sustainability [1-4]. Unfortunately, the vulnerability of cultural heritage has increased over time and its exposure to a series of slow and sudden natural and man-made hazards threatens its existence.

Comacchio is a small municipality in the province of Ferrara (Emilia-Romagna region in north-eastern Italy), in the southern part of the present-day Po River estuary. It is an early medieval settlement, mainly known for the presence of several Etruscan settlements in its territory [5]. Comacchio is the result of continuous variations in sea level and the Po River, the extent of subsidence phenomena, and finally human activity over the last five thousand years.

The Loggiato dei Cappuccini has always been a symbol of the town of Comacchio for its simple and pleasant aesthetic characteristics, for the shelter it can offer from the weather and the summer sun, for its secluded position with respect to the town centre and for its connection with the sanctuary of the Virgin Mary in Aula Regia, which has always been venerated here [6,7].

This study aims to enhance the Capuchin Loggia through an analysis of the monument's state of conservation. The research started with a historical analysis of the maintenance and restoration work that the monument has undergone over time. Subsequently, macroscopic observation and bibliographic research also analyzed the current degradation morphologies and their causes. The proposed analysis campaign may be used by the Municipality of Comacchio to plan future rehabilitation and restoration works aimed at the conservation of the historical-cultural heritage.

References

  • Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe. Full Report of the EU Project “Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe: towards a Eu-ropean Index for Cultural Heritage”, 2015. https://www.europanostra.org/our-work/policy/cultural-heritage-count s-europe/
  • Culture 2030 Indicators: Thematic Indicators for Culture in the 2030 Agenda. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2019. http://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/publication_culture_202 0_indicators_en.pdf
  • Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Resolution A/RES/70/1, United Nations General Assembly, United Nations, 2015. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld/publication
  • Romão, X.; Bertolin, C. Risk protection for cultural heritage and historic centres: Current knowledge and further research needs. Int J Disaster Risk Reduc, 2022, 67, 102652,
  • Gelichi, S. L’Isola del Vescovo, Firenze, Edizioni all’insegna del Giglio s.a.s., 2009.
  • Alberti, A. Segnali di una ritrovata cultura della manutenzione urbana e architettonica a Comacchio, FE. Quaderni di soprintendenza : Qds, 2001, 5.
  • Zamboni, A. La fabbrica dei pesci dietro il loggiato dei Cappuccini e la sede amministrativa delle Valli Comunali di Comacchio. In: Anecdota, Quaderni della Biblioteca L.A. Muratori Comacchio, Ferrara, Gabriele Corbo Editore, 2001, 1/2, 1.

How to cite: Marrocchino, E., Ferroni, L., Manfrini, R., Paletta, M. G., and Telloli, C.: The Loggiato dei Cappuccini in Comacchio (Italy): assessment of degradation and state of conservation., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-15431, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15431, 2023.