Spectral Properties of Sulfated Limestone and Marble: Implications for In Situ Assessment of Atmospheric Pollution Damage to Carbonate Rock Building Materials

Abstract

Infrared spectral reflectance of Salem Limestone and Shelborne Marble exposed to simplified artificial weathering by dilute sulfuric acid solutions is studied as a function of the concentration of surficial gypsum formed. Data presented indicate that calibration curves relating gypsum concentration to reflectance band strengths at 1.93, 6.5, and 8.5 μm can be constructed for both limestone and marble and that nondestructive quantitative compositional analysis is possible using either near-infrared (NIR) or mid-infrared (MIR) measurements. The preferred spectral region depends on the nature of the carbonate material under attack and the amount of gypsum formed. Detection limits for gypsum established for both the limestone and the marble indicate these spectroscopic techniques could provide a viable tool for early monitoring of the effects of certain atmospheric pollutants on carbonate rock building materials.

Keywords

Infrared Analytical methods Atmospheric pollution damage to stone Reflectance spectroscopy Surface analyses

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Butlin

R. N.

Cooke

R. V.

Jaynes

S. M.

, and Sharp

A. S.

, “Research on Limestone Decay in the United Kingdom,” in Proceedings of 5th International Congress on Deterioration and Conservation of Stone, Felix

, Ed. (Presses Polytechniques Romandes, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1985), p. 537.

Livingstone

R. A.

, “The Role of Nitrogen Oxides in the Deterioration of Carbonate Stone,” in Proceedings of 5th International Congress on Deterioration and Conservation of Stone, Felix

, Ed. (Presses Polytechniques Romandes, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1985), p. 213.

Weber

, “Natural and Artificial Weathering of Austrian Building Stones Due to Air Pollution,” in Proceedings of 5th International Congress on Deterioration and Conservation of Stone, Felix

, Ed. (Presses Polytechniques Romandes, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1985), p. 527.

Skoulikidis

T. N.

, “Atmospheric Corrosion of Concrete Reinforcements, Limestone and Marbles,” in Atmospheric Corrosion, Ailor

W. H.

, Ed. (John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1982), p. 807.

Kahle

A. B.

and Goetz

A. F. H.

, Science 222, 24 (1983).

Kahle

A. B.

Shumate

M. S.

, and Nash

D. B.

, Geophys. Res. Lett. 11, 1149 (1984).

Gillespie

A. R.

Kahle

A. B.

, and Palluconi

F. D.

, Geophys. Res. Lett. 11, 1153 (1984).

Kingston

M. J.

and Ager

C. M.

, Technical Papers, 51st Annual Meeting (American Society of Photogrammetry, Washington, 1985), Vol. 2, p. 871.

Kingston

M. J.

and Rowan

L. C.

, Summaries of Fourth Thematic Conference: Remote Sensing for Exploration Geology, San Francisco, Calif., April 1–4, 1985, p. 121.

10.

Rao

Babu G.

and Rao

K. V.

, Birla Archaeological and Cultural Research Institute, Research Bulletin 3, 1 (1981).

11.

Rao

Babu G.

, Birla Archaeological and Cultural Research Institute, Research Bulletin 4, 11 (1982).

12.

Hannah

R. W.

and Anacreon

R. E.

, Appl. Spectrosc. 37, 75 (1983).

13.

Salisbury

J. W.

and Eastes

J. W.

, Icarus 64, 586 (1985).

14.

Salisbury

J. W.

and Eastes

J. W.

, “Usefulness of Weak Bands in Mid-Infrared Remote Sensing of Particulate Surfaces” (submitted to J. Geophys. Res.)

15.

Clark

R. N.

and Roush

T. L.

, J. Geophys. Res. 89, 6329 (1984).

16.

Morris

R. V.

Neely

S. C.

, and Mendel

W. W.

, Geophys. Res. Lett. 9, 113 (1982).

17.

Kleinbaum

D. G.

and Kupper

L. L.

, Applied Regression Analysis and Other Multivariate Methods (Duxbury Press, North Scituate, Massachusetts, 1978), Chap. 9.

18.

Hass

and Sutherland

G. B. B. M.

, Proc. Roy. Soc. A 236, 427 (1956).

19.

Wendlandt

W. W.

and Hecht

H. G.

, Reflectance Spectroscopy (John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1966), Chap. III.

20.

Vincent

R. K.

and Hunt

G. R.

, Appl. Opt. 7, 53 (1968).

21.

Nicodemus

F. E.

, “Radiometry,” in Applied Optics and Optical Engineering, Kingslake

, Ed. (Academic, New York, 1967), Vol. IV, Chap. 8, p. 283.