Deterioration of marble. A retrospective analysis of tombstone measurements in the New York City area

Technical Report · Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5556459

Husar, R B; Patterson, D E; Baer, N S

A data base of tombstone thickness and depth of emblem inscription at Veterans Administration cemeteries has been compiled by New York University. A subset of measurements for two cemeteries in the vicinity of New York City was selected for analysis in this study. For comparable meteorological conditions, different weathering rates of fine grain marble tombstones were observed for the two cemeteries. Tombstones in the Cypress Hills cemetery, which is located within an industrial area, were observed to have higher rates than similar stones in the semi-rural area of the Long Island cemetery. By using a retrospective air-quality model, which is described in another publication, to predict SO/sub 2/ concentrations in New York City from 1880 to 1980, concentration trends of SO/sub 2/ were estimated for both cemeteries. A linear relationship was found to exist between the weathering rates and estimated SO/sub 2/ concentrations. A value of 10 mm per century per ppm of SO/sub 2/ was derived as the best estimate for the weathering coefficient of fine grain marble for the New York City area.

• Research Organization: Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (USA); New York Univ., NY (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5556459
• Report Number(s): PB-85-174134/XAB
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Prepared in cooperation with New York Univ., NY
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
AIR POLLUTION
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
MARBLE
WEATHERING
NEW YORK CITY
SULFUR DIOXIDE
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CHALCOGENIDES
FEDERAL REGION II
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
NEW YORK
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
RAIN
ROCKS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR OXIDES
USA
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)