Classification of rock weathering at writing-on-stone Provincial Park,Alberta, Canada: A study in applied geomorphology

At Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park in southern Alberta, Canada, weathering is causing deterioration and loss of archaeologically important Indian rock art. A procedure devised for the use of park personnel identified four classes of weathering ranging from largely unweathered rock to severely weathered. The technique employed simple visual, qualitative assessment and photo interpretation of 50 sample sections of sandstone cliff face covering a total area of 354 m². Schmidt hammer tests indicated large variations in rock strength and provided a numerical basis for the visual assessment. About 43 per cent of the cliffs are severely to completely weathered, 41 per cent show moderate weathering.