Climate Change Turns Up the Heat in Greek Museums 

Article written by Gabriella Lewis for EOS

Museums and historic buildings use indoor microclimates to preserve artifacts, but rising temperatures could create a breeding ground for pests, mold, and deterioration.

Millions of visitors flock to Greece each year for a rich display of cultural heritage. Inside hundreds of museums, marble statues tower over tourists while brightly colored paintings and pottery line the walls. To visitors and locals alike, Greece’s ancient history appears frozen in time. But rising temperatures threaten to unfreeze some of the country’s long-preserved history.

“Climate change can play an important role, a serious role, for the indoor climate of museums,” said Efstathia Tringa, a meteorologist and doctoral student at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Under the right conditions, artifacts can last for millennia. Museums must therefore maintain a strict set of indoor conditions known as a microclimate to repel pests, mold, and early decay. Warmer temperatures will make it harder for buildings to maintain ideal conditions for preservation because as outdoor temperatures rise, indoor temperatures could follow.

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