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Investigation into rock moisture and salinity regimes: implications of sandstone weathering in Yungang Grottoes, China

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Abstract

Yungang Grottoes in north of China are the classical masterpieces of Chinese Buddhists, dating from the Northern Wei Dynasty 1,500 years ago. This rock art is threatened by weathering processes that has been accelerated due to coal mining. The dominant weathering processes occurring on the rock surface are collapse, flaking, and efflorescence. Salt crystal growth plays a major cause of these deteriorations, and it has a close relationship with water movement. The major salt on the rock surface are sulfates, with a primary composition of epsomite, thenardite, and gypsum. In addition, carbonate minerals are found, mostly calcite and nesquehonite. In this paper, three grottoes in the eastern part have been investigated via measuring the rock surface moisture and recording the surface temperature and humidity. These nondestructive techniques are used for the first time in China on cultural relics. The movement of moisture has been calculated and mapped, and then analyzed for its relationship with the weathering process. Three main sources of water transport in the sandstone are adopted to explain the moisture content patterns. The aim of this study is to help rock art conservation in Yungang Grottoes, thus to provide a better understanding regarding the driving processes of internal moisture transport, which results in significant weathering processes. The evidence shows that the natural character of sandstone, water transport mechanism, and continental semi-arid conditions are the major causes of rock deterioration. Meanwhile, air pollution due to coal mining is also an important factor in driving the weathering process.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support was provided by the Ministry of Science and Technology of The People’s Republic of China (2009BAK53B02). We would like to thank the reviewers who read the first draft of this paper for their constructive comments. Special thanks to Prof. Heather Viles from University of Oxford for her insightful comments on this manuscript, Mr. Yik Yu Au from Institute of Karst Geology, Prof. Zhao Yaqian from University College Dublin for their help to improve the language of the paper, and Hong Zhang from University of Oxford for her technical support and very helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Karst Dynamics, Institute of Karst Geology, Guilin, 541004, China

    Fang Guo & Guanghui Jiang

  2. The International Research Centre on Karst under the Auspices of UNESCO, Guilin, 541004, China

    Fang Guo & Guanghui Jiang

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  1. Fang Guo
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  2. Guanghui Jiang
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Correspondence to Guanghui Jiang.

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Guo, F., Jiang, G. Investigation into rock moisture and salinity regimes: implications of sandstone weathering in Yungang Grottoes, China. Carbonates Evaporites 30, 1–11 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-014-0191-8

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