Magdalin Leonard Dorobăţ, Marian Martin Balta, Codruţa Mihaela Dobrescu
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changes in the apparent volume, compressive strength, freeze-thaw cycles, gelivation degree, geomechanical properties, limestone, schists, softening coefficient, water absorption coefficient by capillary, scree, litosoil, MSS, SSHs
One of the most interesting habitats that has been identified and researched especially by speleologists in the last few decades is the superficial underground environment. These habitats were named mesovoid shallow substratum (MSS), also called shallow subterranean habitats (SSHs). These habitats are mainly represented by the scree, where the free spaces between the clasts (interclastic spaces) are the temporary or permanent host or refuge for some species of animals, especially invertebrates. Similarly, in litosoils, we can find too, free interclastic spaces, but much less generous. The scree formation depends largely on the geological type of rock that undergoes the various mechanical and chemical processes that cause exposed rock to decompose (mechanical, chemical and biochemical weathering). Practically, the behavior of the rocks relative to exogenous modeling factors influences the speed of scree generation. Moreover, the main environmental factors such as relative humidity, temperature in the MSS are influenced by the geomechanical properties of the rocks (the ability to retain water, the way to react to gelling, thermal expansion, chemical reactions between the water by the pores of the rocks and the minerals etc). That is why we considered to be interesting a comparative analysis of geomechanical properties in the case of two types of rock, limestone and crystalline mesometamorphic schist. These limestone and schists outcrops occur oftenly on the slopes in Leaota Mountains, the area where our research been focused has.
