Water is a critical factor in evaluating and assessing microbial colonization and destruction of Angkor sandstone monuments

• Published in: International biodeterioration & biodegradation Vol. 133; pp. 9 - 16
• Main Authors: Liu, Xiaobo, Meng, Han, Wang, Yali, Katayama, Yoko, Gu, Ji-Dong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Barking Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2018; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Angkor temples; Anthropogenic factors; Architecture; Biofilms; Capillary action; Chemical attack; Colonization; Crystallization; Cultural heritage; Cultural resources; Defoliation; Destabilization; Destruction; Deterioration; Drying; Environmental conditions; Evaporation; Human influences; Memorials & monuments; Microorganisms; Mobility; Mosques & temples; Organic chemistry; Plant growth; Salting; Salts; Sandstone; Secondary mineralization; Solutes; Stagnation; Structural integrity; Surface layers; Temples; Water supply; Weathering; Capillary action; Secondary mineralization; Biofilms; Defoliation; Cultural heritage; Sandstone; Angkor temples; Salting

Sandstone monuments/temples of the Angkor Empire in the Southeast Asia are important UNESCO World Cultural Heritage of the Khmer Civilization and recorded history for the people today. Majority of these monuments suffer severe deterioration from weathering caused by a combination of physical, chemic...