The aim of this studv is to investigate interrelationships betweenbedrock relief and geological material. The area of investigation covers ca 350 km and is located in the Precambrian bedrock in the central part of Umeå commune, in northern Norrland. The boundary between two morphologically different types of landscape, the coastal plain (kustslätten) and the Norrland terrain (Norrlandsterrängen), crosses this area in a north-westerly direction.The study area's Precambrian bedrock has been mapped in detail by the author and the results are presented in a map at the scale of 1:50,000 together with a description. The occurring rock types have been studied with regard to their resistance against physical and chemical weathering. By relating recent research experience concerning Fennoscandia's palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology and isostasy, an appreciation is given of the character and strength of the forces of disintegration. Accordingly, it seems probable that chemical weathering was the dominant phenomenon during Silurian, Devonian, and even Carboniferous and Permian, whereas when the climate worsened significantly after the Tertiary period Fennoscandia's landscape was resculptured by glacial forces.During Tertiary and Quarternary times, Pennoscandia was twice uplifted and once loweredStatistical correlations between landscape relief, bedrock structure and rock variations, show that the highest sections of the landscape are dominated by resistant older granitoids, granitic mobilizate and veined gneisses, whereas the low-lying valleys and plains are characterized by the easily weathered biotite-plagioclase schists. Much suggests that the distinctive morphology of the coastal plain and Norrland terrain was initiated by bedrock structure and rock variations. As in some earlier works on Fennoscandia, this study attributes great importance to selective weathering in shaping the landscape. / digitalisering@umu

Three lateritic profiles from different localities and of varying depth and degrees of development were analyzed for precious metals, platinum, palladium, iridium and gold by radiochemical neutron-activation analysis. In addition, the distribution of major, minor and other trace constituents (iron, silicon, magnesium, nickel, cobalt, chromium, copper, manganese, zinc, uranium, sodium, chlorine and scandium) was determined. Instrumental activation analysis, radiochemical analysis and conventional chemical procedures were used. The mineralogy of the samples was studied using electron microscopy. Sufficient analytical data were obtained to justify the use of molecular proportions and net changes plots, and a coefficient correlation method, in order to elucidate the geochemical behaviour of the elements during the weathering processes.

Ce travail est une analyse des conséquences de la présence de roches altérées, les altérites, sur les instabilités littorales du Labourd (Pays Basque). Le contexte environnemental des mouvements de terrain qui mobilisent ces matériaux méconnus est étudié afin de mieux appréhender les processus de rupture. Pour cela, d’une part, les altérites sont caractérisées d’un point de vue géologique ; d’autre part, les propriétés géotechniques et les circulations hydrogéologiques sont déterminées. Ces études permettent de mettre en évidence les différents facteurs prédisposant et déclenchant les instabilités, validés par modélisation numérique. La connaissance des processus ainsi améliorée, un outil d’estimation de l’aléa dans les altérites est proposé. / This work is an analysis of the consequences of the presence of weathered rocks, called alterites, on the coastal landslides of the Labourd (Basque country). The environmental context (geological, hydrogeological and morphological) of the landslides is studied to a better understanding of the failure processes. These studies allow to highlight the main triggering factors of the landslides, which are validated by numerical modelling. The knowledge of the processes so improved, a tool to estimate landslide hazards in the alterites is proposed.

Missing page 48 / <p> The low ambient air temperatures, together with the low annual rainfall and complete lack of vegetation in the Canadian High Arctic, results in a breakdown of the carbonate rock material by mechanical means. The importance of chemical decomposition, soil formation and transport of ionic material in solution is negligible, when compared with the role played by these same processes in more temperate climates. </p> <p> The purpose of this thesis is to investigate certain aspects of the alkali, alkaline earth and heavy metal geochemistry of selected components of the weathering cycle. The discussion will deal with concentration levels of these parameters in stream waters and, to a lesser extent, soils and stream sediments. </p> <p> Analytical results show that element distributions in the streams resemble those of more temperate carbonate terrains. However, the solute levels are, in general, lower, indicating that a greater proportion of the metals is travelling in colloidal form and/or adsorbed to slit-sized material carried by the streams. </p> <p> These findings confirm the belief that chemical weathering and transport in solution are of little importance in the area studied. </p> / Thesis / Bachelor of Science (BSc)

Cette étude traite du vieillissement des ouvrages en pierres calcaires en interaction avec leur environnement, en se basant à la fois sur la caractérisation des matériaux et des conditions climatiques locales. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’étudier le rôle des conditions climatiques sur la dégradation des pierres par une estimation quantitative du poids des différents processus physiques de dégradation : gel-dégel, condensation and dilatations hygro-thermiques empêchées. Deux sites majeurs ont été sélectionnés : le Château de Chambord en France et le site d’Al-Namrud en Irak, qui est une ancienne capitale assyrienne datant de 1280 BC. Les matériaux français étudiés sont le tuffeau et la pierre de Richemont, qui a été abondamment utilisée comme pierre de substitution durant les restaurations du 20ème siècle. Les matériaux irakiens utilisés sont issus de prélèvements sur des pierres d’origines altérées, des pierres d’origine saines, ainsi que la pierre candidate pour la restauration du site. L’approche choisie pour l’estimation du risque d’endommagement commence par la réalisation d’une campagne expérimentale de caractérisation multi-physiques et multi-échelles des pierres calcaires utilisées à Chambord, ajouté à la collecte des données météorologiques à Chambord grâce à une station et des mesures dans la pierre. L’estimation du risque d’endommagement est obtenue en combinant l’utilisation des données climatiques et de la caractérisation des matériaux, grâce au calcul de l’impact des différents processus physiques de dégradation, qui a nécessité plusieurs développements méthodologiques. La méthodologie proposée pour l’estimation du risque d’endommagement est ensuite appliquée au site d’Al-Namrud. Finalement, un carnet de santé numérique préliminaire du plus édifiant monument d’Al-Namrud – la Ziggurat – est réalisé pour son diagnostic de durabilité. / This study deals with the ageing of limestone structures as a result of the interaction with their environment. It is based on the characterization of both the material and the local climatic conditions. The objective of this thesis is to study the role of climatic conditions in the degradation of stone by quantitative estimation of the weight of the different physical weathering processes: freezing-thawing, condensation and restrained hygro-thermal dilations. Two major historic sites were selected: the Château of Chambord in France and the site of Al-Nimrud City in Iraq, an ancient Assyrian capital, built in 1280 BCE. The French materials studied are tuffeau and Richemont stone, extensively used as a substitute for tuffeau restoration during part of the 20th century. The Iraqi materials studied are samples cored in situ in original weathered stones, original healthy stones, and the stone that could be used as a substitute for restoration. The approach chosen for damage risk assessment starts by the realization of a multiphysics and multiscale experimental characterization campaign of the limestone used at Chambord, added to the collection of meteorological data at Chambord thanks to a weather station supplemented by situ stone measurements. The damage risk assessment is obtained by the combined use of climate data and material characterization, through the calculation of the impact of thedifferent physical weathering processes, which required some methodological developments. The proposed damage risk assessment methodology is then applied to Al-Nimrud site. Finally, a preliminary digital health record of the most prominent monument of Al-Nimrud - the Al-Ziggurat - is carried out to diagnose its durability.

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