The potential of optical profilometry in the study of cultural stone weathering

The problem of deterioration of marble or stone monuments on display in the open air was raised in scientific terms around the mid-nineteenth century, correctly sensing the close dependence between the increased speed of surfaces alteration and air pollution. However, only more recently, around the years 1980–1990, emerged a need for quantitative data to assess the degree of degradation and the relative danger in the future projections. Non-destructive techniques can be an important aid in assessing the state of degradation and, above all, its speed, directly on the most important monuments exposed to the urban environment. In this work we discuss some non-destructive techniques able to evaluate the alteration of the surface shape of artefacts exposed to the environment through a non-contact survey of their surface shape. Advantages and disadvantages will be highlighted, as well as the problems still open.