The andesitic tuff breccia contains a large amount of underground water in its cracks. The source of this underground water is the rain and snow that falls on the stepped slope of the hill behind the cliff.
It is thought that the moist environment surrounding the general area of the Temiya cave results from the relatively abundant supply of underground water behind the cliff, while the presence of a second weathering zone has formed a wall-surface condition with local moisture near the cave only. This provides conditions conducive to the freezing of water and favorable to biological growth. It is possible that the same conditions that promote this growth also cause biochemical deterioration (Table 1).
Survey of Wall Movement
A survey to measure the annual movement of the inscribed rock face was begun in March 1990. The purposes of the survey were
To observe movement of open cracks over a period of years by regularly recording displacement;
To observe the effects on the inscribed rock of vibration by construction work on a new shelter and the effect of conservation work on the cave; and
To collect basic data for the conservation and repair of cultural sites such as this one in the future.
Monitoring Results
Displacement of forward and backward movement of the inscribed rock surface and also of the width of open cracks in the wall's surface was measured. Construction of a new shelter covering an older one was begun in September 1990. Temperature and relative humidity levels were measured inside and outside the new shelter, factors that were believed to be affecting displacement of the inscribed rock and open cracks.
Monitoring instruments could not be installed directly on the inscribed characters because of their cultural value. Therefore, six displacement meters (transducers) with highly sensitive dial gauges were installed at different positions in the vicinity of the inscribed characters. Each of the meters was attached to a specially made magnetic stand with steel legs. The bottom of each leg was fixed to a concrete base (Fig. 6). In addition, nine displacement meters were installed across the open cracks at different points to measure changes in crack width (Fig. 7).
The individual displacement meters were connected to a central monitor (Fig. 8) connected to a personal computer that automatically records the data sent from each of the displacement meters. Measurements are taken four times a day, and the average value constitutes the displacement value for the day
World History
