Professor Meierding's research on marble weathering promises to provide important data on the chronology and extent of air pollution in cities in the northeastern United States over the last century. Meierding will measure weathering on large numbers of Vermont marble monuments in cities throughout eastern North America. Weathering attributable to sulphur dioxide will be estimated by comparing weathering rates among cities known to have had high sulphur dioxide concentrations with weathering rates in cities where sulphur dioxide has been low. Measurements will be adjusted as appropriate for local conditions and pollution sources. Detailed measurement and mapping of marble deterioration will yield important data on the locational and temporal incidence of air pollution, including acid rain, and on the effects of such pollutants. The results of this research will provide baseline data for studies of the causes of long-term change in the atmospheric environment of the northeastern United States.
