The effects of fire on rock weathering: some further considerations of laboratory experimental simulation

✍ Scribed by Allison, Robert J.; Bristow, Giles E.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 120 KB
• Volume: 24
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0360-1269
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9837(199908)24:8<707::aid-esp993>3.0.co;2-z

✦ Synopsis

Fire in the natural environment is a widespread agent of geomorphological and biological change. Temperatures can exceed 1000 C. There is often a rapid rise from ambient conditions through a steep thermal gradient, promoting rock disintegration. Laboratory simulation studies have established that temperature changes which are representative of natural fires affect rock material properties, which can then be related to weathering susceptibility. This study extends previous work by more closely replicating the natural environment, (a) through the simulation of rainfall and (b) by encasing samples to reflect the exposure of a single rock face to a passing fire event. Rock samples collected on Cyprus were prepared and tested following previously reported procedures. Change in modulus of elasticity was monitored using a non-destructive ultrasonic method. The data corroborate previous work but with somewhat different degrees of change. The new results are more likely to be representative of natural conditions and real-world change. The rate of rock disintegration and effects such as casehardening appear to be a function of rock thermal characteristics, material properties and environmental constraints such as diurnal temperature range.