You know
How do meteorologists guard national treasures?
June 11, 2022
Is the 17th "Cultural and Natural Heritage Day"
This year's theme is
"Cultural Relics Conservation: The Times Advance together for the people to share"
Cultural and natural heritage
It is an important medium for the protection and inheritance of human civilization
It is a bridge connecting the past, the present, and the future
In fact
To protect through thousands of years
Cultural relics, ancient buildings
Must "overcome" the "challenges" of weather and climate
Climate events in extreme weather
In the context of frequent occurrences
Many heritage resources around the world
It is under major threat
During the 2021 rainy season, rainfall increased in the Bagan region of Myanmar, and dozens of pagodas were damaged by rainfall and flood erosion.
In July 2021, heavy rains in Henan province caused damage such as landslides in the overburden layer and collapse of retaining walls at the Shangcheng site.
The UNESCO-UNEP report World Heritage and Tourism under Climate Change argues that climate change has become one of the most important threats to World Heritage. Many of the world's natural and cultural heritage sites are facing major threats due to rising temperatures, melting glaciers, sea level changes, meteorological disasters and severe droughts.
In 2019, the ruins of the Terayama Charcoal Kiln, a World Heritage Site in Kagoshima, Japan, were destroyed by floods; Venice, Italy, also suffered severe flooding...
Face meteorological risks
Where do cultural relics and ancient buildings need to be focused?
The results of monitoring and analysis show that meteorological factors are one of the "culprits" that most directly lead to the accelerated "aging" of cultural relics. Among them, temperature and humidity, lightning strikes, acid gases and acid rain are the "main forces".
The Leshan Giant Buddha eroded by acid rain
"Excessive rainfall" may cause direct impact damage to cultural relics. Stone, pottery, soil, wood and other materials are easy to absorb water, and the rainwater that seeps into cultural relics buildings will cause the original fragile materials to soften and dissolve, damage and corrode cultural relics.
The drastic change in temperature brought about by the alternation of cold and summer will lead to obvious cracking or even chalking off the surface of the inscription and stone carving; Long-term exposure of ultraviolet rays in the sun will cause murals and paintings to fade; Long-term high temperature and high humidity will lead to insect infestation and mildew in textiles and silk fabrics, and will also weather the surface of stone cultural relics and the components of ancient buildings; Affected by air pollution and acid rain, some outdoor cultural relics buildings have been "unrecognizable", and corrosion and spalling have occurred; Particles in the air such as sand and dust can also adversely affect cultural relics such as buildings, statues, and murals...
Guanyin Pavilion in the Flood Photo/Xinhua News Agency
Meteorological factors that people are accustomed to fluctuate slightly in value may cause serious damage to cultural relics. The protection of cultural relics should not only prevent the impact of the "violent" torrential rain and flood of the jinshan style, but also prevent the silent "encroachment" of the moisturizers.
The Wind and Rain Bridge in Zhangjiajie City was instantly destroyed by the flood
In addition to the influence of "water", many cultural relics and ancient buildings are also facing lightning protection pressure.
In September 2020, a corner of the Lingxiao Tower in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, collapsed due to lightning strikes, and part of the top structure of the tower was damaged
In 2020, a thunderstorm swept through northern India, destroying the gates of the Taj Mahal complex and the railings under 5 high domes
Among them, the ancient lightning protection measures of the Palace Museum in Beijing (referred to as the Forbidden City) and the Potala Palace are classics.
Lightning strikes "favor" tall buildings, and the towering roof ridges in the Beijing Palace Museum (hereinafter referred to as the "Forbidden City"), the kissing beasts on the cornices, and the Forbidden City is located on the ancient river channel, and the surrounding Jinshui River makes the soil resistivity of the lower cushion surface of the Forbidden City low, which are the "masters of thunder".
The "lightning protection device" of the ancient Forbidden City: the legendary mythical beast
Since 1955, the Palace Museum has begun to use modern scientific and technological means to carry out lightning protection. The staff installed lightning rods and lightning belts on most of the buildings of the Palace Museum to achieve a full range of lightning protection effects. When installing lightning protection facilities, the staff uses different forms of lightning rods and lightning belts from an aesthetic point of view to hide the line in the building structure as much as possible to maintain the original artistic atmosphere of the building.
Chains and lightning belts at the top of the Forbidden City Image source: Sohu News
In addition to directly destroying the components of ancient buildings, there is also lightning induction damage, which will cause damage to the distribution lines and information systems such as monitoring, broadcasting, and communication in cultural relics buildings.
The top of the main hall of the Potala Palace is made of metal with good electrical conductivity, and under the gold roof, bolts and riveting are used to connect with each other. In addition, the Potala Palace as a whole is mainly a stone and wood structure, and the walls are made of white horse grass mixed with local mud, which is both strong and fireproof.
Panoramic view of the Potala Palace
Guarding the "treasure" that spans thousands of years
The meteorological department does this
Integrating the wisdom of the ancients and using modern scientific and technological means to strengthen the protection of cultural relics, the mainland cultural relics departments, scientific research units and meteorological departments are working together.
The Dunhuang Research Institute and the Dunhuang Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics have used meteorological information to initially realize the transformation of Dunhuang cultural heritage from rescue protection to preventive protection; The Potala Palace and the Forbidden City skillfully use the original lightning protection facilities and combine today's advanced means to form a complete lightning protection network; Longmen Grottoes make full use of meteorological information and make useful explorations in the disaster reduction and protection of the grottoes...
Staff install lightning protection devices at the Ming Tombs Photo/Courtesy of Li Jing School
Su Bomin, president of the Dunhuang Research Institute, introduced that the environment of Mogao Grottoes shows the characteristics of drought and increased frequency of heavy rain, and controlling the violent fluctuations of humidity and the impact of moisture is the key measure for the long-term preservation of murals. Mogao Caves has established a monitoring and early warning system for this purpose, and cooperated with the local meteorological department to obtain meteorological change data in advance and take corresponding measures to prevent the occurrence of humidity increases in the caves.
On July 17, 2019, the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes were flooded due to rain
The meteorological department has installed a number of sets of regional automatic stations in the core area of the Mogao Caves area, providing real-time data such as air pressure, air temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind direction and wind speed, etc., and carrying out the analysis and judgment of meteorological data for cultural relics protection according to the observation data combined with the forecast of various meteorological factors, and providing targeted suggestions for the protection of cultural relics for different weather and meteorological elements.
Mogao Caves Area Automatic Station Photo/Zhu Yongfeng
According to the content and level of meteorological forecasts and early warnings, Dunhuang Research Institute will launch different emergency plans to minimize the loss of cultural relics caused by meteorological factors. For example, before the rainstorm comes, the grotto management section and guards will be organized to carry out cave patrols in a timely manner, start disaster weather warning and response measures, and dredge drainage facilities; A notice of suspension of opening was issued to ensure the safety of visitors. When windy sand and dust occur, the cave doors are closed to prevent the wind from carrying dust into the cave and wearing away the statues and murals.
In Gulangyu Island, Xiamen, the typhoon monitoring and early warning system has also contributed to the neutral defense of typhoons in the cultural relics department. Before Typhoon Meranti made landfall in 2016, the cultural relics department obtained data on wind strength, wind speed, rainfall and other data from the meteorological department, and quickly took measures such as strengthening the site itself and building protective sheds to minimize the loss.
In July 2021, during the heavy rainstorm, the Henan Museum organized personnel to carry out emergency measures such as dredging and drainage Image source: Henan Museum
At present, the mainland has entered the main flood season
Widespread heavy rainfall is likely to occur in many places
Extreme weather such as thunderstorms and winds, hail and so on
The safety of cultural relics is threatened
Local meteorological departments
Weather changes will be kept in close eye
Close communication with relevant departments of cultural relics
Organize and judge cultural relics museums and other units in real time
Heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and winds, hail,
Disaster risks such as flash floods and mudslides
Timely release of early warning tips
Do a good job of "national treasures"
"Guardian"