Feed Your Brain: Geosciences Save UNESCO Heritage

The Feed Your Brain speaker the Wednesday of  the GSA meeting was Claudio Margottini. He spoke to us about the use of geological engineering techniques to restore and protect UNESCO heritage sites in danger from natural events, war, development, or improper management. The techniques discussed at this talk involved the use of ground penetrating radar, LIDAR, radar interferometry, seismology, and other various techniques and technologies.  

One great example of how Mr. Margottini used his expertise in geology and geological engineering is his work on the Minaret of Jam in western Afghanistan. The 203 ft. tall minaret was in danger of collapse due to the settling of sediment underneath, as well as erosion from the Hari River near the site. Using seismic data, the foundation and surrounding alluvial sediment were characterized, allowing Mr. Margottini and his team to stabilize the foundation without causing any further damage to it. 

Minaret of Jam

Mr. Margottini and his team were often limited by the location of the UNESCO sites; the countries that needed his help were generally quite poor, and could not always provide equipment that would be ideal for the job. Despite this, they managed to make due with the limited equipment; he even went as far as using erosion mitigation techniques employed by ancient Incans to preserve the remnants of a pyramid in Tiwanaku, (in modern-day Bolivia). 

Mr. Margottini's talk was very interesting; his work is unique, and his story proves that a background in geology can be applied in wide variety of situations.