Characteristics of the rocks and its weathering phenomena of the Gameunsa 3-story and Naweonri 5-story Pagodas located at the Kyeongju city, Korea

감은사지 3층 석탑(동탑)과 나원리 5층 석탑의 암석과 풍화현상의 특징에 대한 연구

For obtaining the basic data for establishing plan on the conservation of the Gameunsa 3-story and Naweonri 5-story Pagodas located at the Kyeongju city, the characteristics of the rock and weathering phenomena have been investigated. The former consists of quartz-rlch granite containing small amount of biotite, and the latter of alkali granite with abundant perthite, These rock phases are nearly identical to the marginal phase of medium-grained hornblende-biotite granodiorite and alkali granite respectively, which are distributed around the Kyeongju city. The rock weathering may be governed mainly by chemical weathering of feldspar following physical segregation of quartz grains and pervasive moss. The feldspar easily dissolve In the solution with pH<7 to precipitate clay mineral such as a kaolinite as a secondary phase on the feldspar surface. However, the chemical weathering of feldspar may continue when the surface is washed by the rain according to removal of the reprecipitated phase. On forwarding, the weathering may be greatly Influenced by the acid rain. Exfoliation and weathering along igneous lineation resulting in exfoliating along the structural line are the characteristic weathering phenomena. Also the secondary small cracks are irregularly developed on the rocks due to different strain on places by the overall structural unbalance of the pagodas. Along these cracks, the rain water intrudes deeply into the rocks and weathering occurs intensively compared to other parts. Weathering may be artificially promoted by the grinding or sculpturing when the pagodas were made. Because it may influence on the physical properties of the rocks as well as destruct the surface of the feldspar crystals, the major constituents of the rocks, it results in providing the environment of easy chemical weathering along time. For conservation, the pagodas must be structurally balanced by compacting the soil basement and supplementing rocks on the destroyed part. On the exfoliated part it is better not to be artifically treated as using cementing material. But the cracks may be filled up by cementing material to avoid the intrusion of acidic water. To supplement the rocks on the destroyed part, it may be better to use similar rock phases from identical biotite granite and alkali granite masses around the Kyeongju city.