This paper presents a geomorphological map of Mount Ararat/Ağri Daği in Eastern Anatolia (Turkey). Mount Ararat/Ağri Daği is a volcanic complex covered by a unique ice cap in the Near East. The massif is the result of multiple volcanic phases, and present day landforms are the result of subsequent and overlapping glacial, periglacial, and slope processes. The geomorphological mapping of Mount Ararat/Ağri Daği was firstly performed on the basis of desktop studies, by applying remote-sensing investigations using high-resolution satellite imagery (PLEIADES and SPOT images). A preliminary draft of the map was crosschecked and validated in the field as part of an interdisciplinary campaign carried out in the 2014 summer season. All the collected data suggest that the Mount Ararat/Ağri Daği glaciation played a crucial role in the evolution of the landscape and that even today glaciers are significant features in this area. Currently, ice bodies cover 7.28 km² and include peculiar glacier types. Among these are three well-developed debris-covered glaciers, flowing down along the flanks of the volcano.

This paper focuses on the characterization approach to evaluate the decay state of Pietra Serena of historic buildings in Florence (Italy). Pietra Serena is a Florentine sandstone largely used in the city especially during the Renaissance; it is a symbol of cultural heritage of Florence and constitutes a large part of the city center, which was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. Unfortunately, many environmental factors negatively affect the stone, increasing damage and the danger of falling material. Any detachment of stone fragments, in addition to constitute a loss in cultural heritage, can be dangerous for citizens and the many tourists that visit the city. The use of non-destructive techniques (NDTs) as ultrasonic and Schmidt hammer tests can quantitatively define some mechanical properties and help to monitor the decay degree of building stone. In this study, the NDTs were combined with mineralogical, petrographical, chemical and physical analyses to investigate the stone materials, in order to correlate their features with the characteristics of the different artefacts in Pietra Serena. Correlations between the NDTs results and the compositional characteristics of the on-site stone were carried out; such discussion allows to identify zones of weakness and dangerous unstable elements.

The Historic Center of Florence, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, includes many examples of architecture characterized by rough-hewn rusticated block facades—a very common masonry technique in the Florentine Renaissance—made in Pietraforte sandstone. The latter features numerous criticalities related to its intrinsic characteristics and to decay phenomena that are due to weathering and pollution. A multidisciplinary methodology has been developed starting from historic analysis and architectural survey to a complete optometric, mechanical, physical, mineralogical, and petrographic characterization of rough-hewn rusticated blocks, applied to the case study of the Palazzo Medici Riccardi facades. The studies performed in this work cover several research fields, from architecture to geology, going through material diagnostics, and aim at improving knowledge and designing new restoration solutions for Pietraforte building-material criticalities. The research proposes an operative protocol aimed at supporting restoration projects and monitoring plans, with the aim to protect historical, architectural, and artistic cultural heritage and to safeguard the people who visit the city of Florence every year.