The oil released during the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill may have both shortand long-time impacts on the northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystems. An understanding of how the composition and concentration of the oil are altered by weathering, including chemical, physical and biological processes, is needed to evaluate the oil toxicity and impact on the ecosystem in the northern Gulf of Mexico. T...

Salt crystallization is a major cause of weathering of rocks, artworks and monuments. Damage can only occur if crystals continue to grow in confinement, i.e. within the pore space of these materials, thus generating mechanical stress. We report the direct measurement, at the microscale, of the force exerted by growing alkali halide salt crystals while visualizing their spontaneous nucleation an...

salt crystallization is one of the most important weathering agents and may limit the durability of building stones. salt crystallization induces stresses inside the pores of stones. consequently, stone durability is closely related to its physical properties and strength. the purpose of this study was to propose a statistical model for estimating stone durability against salt crystallization c...

Due to their widespread availability, sandstones are commonly used as a natural stone for buildings, monuments and sculptures. In thecurrent study, nine sandstone samples from the Upper Red Formation (specified by the letters A, B, C, CG, S, S1, Sh, Tr and Min)were studied from a petrophysical point of view and their durability was evaluated. Then, their suitability as building stones wasassess...

Abstract Salt weathering can cause substantial deterioration of natural rocks, building stones, masonry materials, monuments, and engineering structures. Nearly two centuries salt studies, both theoretically empirically, have manifested its power as well complexity. This paper attempts to unite the kinds literature assess various theories in light combined information. The theoretical approache...

Since its abandonment 185 years ago, the XII century Santa Maria de Bonaval Monastery located in Guadalajara (Spain) has suffered significant deterioration: first the roof was lost, followed by partial collapse of the walls, moisture infiltration and extensive loss of stone surfaces due to salt weathering. This case study is a clear example of the incompatibility of some building materials: in ...