Evaporation rate from surfaces of various granular rocks: Comparison of measured and calculated values.

Knowledge of the evaporation rate from rock surfaces is critical for obtaining the water flux in the rock-atmosphere interphase, for understanding moisture distribution, and for quantification of damage from salt crystallization within the rock. Evaporation from rocks is a poorly understood, yet important process. We present a study on evaporation from 10 lithologies, including sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic granular rocks.

A microdestructive method using dye-coated-probe to visualize capillary, diffusion and evaporation zones in porous materials.

The vaporization plane, a narrow zone of subsurface evaporation often present in porous rocks, separates the region where water flows due to capillary forces from the dry zone where moisture moves in gas phase only. The knowledge of its depth and geometry is critical for estimating water flux in rock-atmosphere interphase, for understanding moisture distribution and for localization of damaging salt crystallization. Yet, an easy-to-use method applicable in the exterior has been missing.