Mt. Rushmore preservation continues

Beginning Oct. 12, visitors may witness climbers repelling and ascending across Mt. Rushmore. 

 

This is due to an annual re-calibration of specialized equipment that monitors changes in the rock to anticipate damages due to environmental shifts in temperature and erosion. 

 

This information has been collected since 1996 through a contract with RESPEC Engineering out of Rapid City. 

 

With a three-dimensional map and continual monitoring, park staff can quickly identify any changes in the sculpture and respond appropriately.

 

Imagine that you wanted to display a work of art, but that artwork was permanently outdoors. That is the challenge facing park staff for the Mount Rushmore sculpture. The sculpture is exposed to blazing sun, lightning, rain, hail, snow and temperatures that vary more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit from season to season. 

 

The seemingly impossible challenge of protecting Mt. Rushmore that people have faced since sculpting began in 1927. While the methods of accomplishing this task are evolving, the need for cooperation between experts in many fields has remained the same.

 

Today, the National Park Service knows how the sculpture reacts to daily and seasonal temperature changes and can identify problems more easily than ever through modern scientific methods. No part of the sculpture has yet been damaged.