Abstract
Designated as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the Mogao Grottoes is famous for its cultural relics, in particular, the superb murals and painted sculptures. Moisture has been confirmed as the most active factor that could result in mural diseases. Therefore, ascertaining the moisture distribution of the cliff is of great significance for preventing the deterioration of murals and painted sculptures. In this study, a multi-electrode resistivity survey is applied atop the cliff of Mogao Grottoes. By deploying survey lines in two main study areas, the moisture distribution of the cliff is reflected by the resistivity profiles qualitatively. The results show that there is a mutually verifying relationship between the resistivity profiles and the water content of the exploratory well. In general, the resistivity of the cliff body is low in the distribution range of 1–300 Ω·m. It shows that the moisture content of these gullies atop the cliff is even lower. Besides, four potential danger areas are determined on the cliff face. Murals in these caves, which are excavated in these areas, will suffer more serious deterioration due to the moisture migration. The result also ascertains that the resistivity of the cliff could determine the moisture distribution inside the cliff. Moreover, this study can provide a firm scientific basis for protecting the valuable murals and painted sculptures in the caves.
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Acknowledgements
Most of the experiment works were finished in Mogao Grottoes and the Dunhuang Academy. We would like to express our gratitude to the researchers for their help during the experiment.
Funding
The research is funded by the technique research and application of weathering prevention of sandstone temples (grant no.18ZD2FA001) and the open project of Gansu Provincial Center for Conservation of Dunhuang Cultural Heritage (grant no. GDW2021YB02).
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Sun, M., Zhang, J., Zhang, L. et al. Multi-electrode resistivity survey for the moisture distribution characteristics of the cliff of Mogao Grottoes. Bull Eng Geol Environ 81, 489 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-02989-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-02989-1