Western Wall wearing away? Discovery of extreme erosion process could guide new preservation techniques

Researchers have investigated erosion in the different kinds of limestone in the Western Wall at the foot of Jerusalem's Temple Mount. Stones made up of large crystals were almost unchanged in 2000 years, while limestone with small crystals eroded much faster and in some places had receded by tens of centimeters, potentially weakening the wall's structure. The researchers describe an accelerated erosion process that  explains why some rocks are more weathered than others, and showed that chemo-mechanical erosion extends down to the tiny micron scale.

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