Inkpen, R J, Viles, H A, Moses, C, Baily, B, Collier, P, Trudgill, S T and Cooke, R U (2012) Thirty years of erosion and declining atmospheric pollution at St Paul's Cathedral, London. Atmospheric Environment, 62 (1). pp. 521-529. ISSN 1352-2310

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Abstract

The relationship between limestone deterioration (in the form of recession or erosion rates) and changing air quality has been the subject of much debate. A 30-year record of limestone erosion rates from the balustrade of St Paul’s Cathedral, London, UK has been obtained from five micro-erosion meter (MEM) sites (last remeasured in September 2010) providing a unique, long-term dataset with which to examine the nature and causes of changing deterioration, particularly the existence of a memory effect. Whilst atmospheric sulphur dioxide concentrations fell from a daily average of 80 ppb in the early 1980s to less than 3 ppb by the late 2000s, erosion rates (measured as surface lowering or recession) only declined from 0.049 mm a-1 to 0.035 mm a-1 over the same period. A more conservative measure of the rate of surface change (which includes both lowering and raising of the surface) fell from 0.044 mm a-1 to 0.026 mm a-1 over the same period. The rates of surface change and erosion were significantly higher in the 1980-1990 measurement period compared to the 1990-2000 measurement period, whilst the average rates for the 1990-2000 measurement period were approximately the same as those for the 2000-2010 measurement period. There is no clear evidence for a memory effect, and rates of erosion and surface change now approach those found on natural karst surfaces.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	School of Global Studies > Geography
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > G Geography (General)
Depositing User:	Jayne Paulin
Date Deposited:	14 Nov 2012 09:13
Last Modified:	10 Jul 2013 08:40
URI:	http://srodev.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/42359

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