Читать книгу Monument Future - Siegfried Siegesmund - Страница 332

The studied sedimentary rocks share the silicate composition, often notable content in clay minerals, low strength, and very high porosity. The microenvironment of the underground sites under investigation is characterized by an extremely high humidity, and salt weathering occurs more easily where/when the RH is lower and inconstant, and the cave walls are not wet. Sulfates are the most common secondary phases, especially gypsum, which has low solubility and the highest DRH, crystallizing even when the RH is close to 100 %. In this regard, the pyrite contained in the rock seems to be the main precursor. On the other hand, water-driven deterioration is greatly affected by the abundance of clay minerals.

These preliminary results need further investigations, which will concern the continuation of the 226microclimatic monitoring for at least one entire year, the chemical analysis of rainwater and the groundwater collected in the caves, and the finalization of salt sampling and analysis in different seasons.

The completion of this research will serve as support for the conservation and valorization of the underground cultural heritage of Japan that, because of its own understated form and the low-key advertisement, is often not well known and out of the main tourist circuits.