Marble Tombstone Weathering

Gravestone weathering department of geography.

Marble tombstone weathering.

In many graveyards the head stones are aligned with the engraved side facing to the east. Since marble is vulnerable to wear and tear marble headstones that have cracks and signs of aging should be left as is because cleaning can weaken the marble further and result in more serious damage. If the marble headstone is in good condition proceed to the next step. Marble for example is assumed to decay mainly through dissolution by acidic rainfall natural rainfall is slightly acidic being a weak carbonic acid with a ph of 5 6.

Studying rock types weathering processes and human history in a cemetery. First check the condition of the marble headstone that you want to clean. Aspect is the compass direction in which the headstones face. Therefore in west yorkshire the back of the headstone faces the prevailing winds so should be more weathered.

Dragovitch 1986 an excellent source of data for tombstone weathering in two different cities. Physical weathering is the toll put on rocks by processes like frost ice splitting abrasion from things hitting it plant roots decompression at the surface remember most rocks are formed. The booming and polluted metropolis of sydney and wollongong where pollution rates haven t changed much. Marble tombstone weathering and air pollution in north america thomas c.

Thaw weathering as temperatures fall faster in the open air than under trees. Maps of surface recession rates measured from 8 438 century old vermont marble tombstones at 320 cemeteries.