Preservation from Rock Fall of an Engraved Sculpture in the Usuki Stone Images of Buddha, Oita, Japan

摘要

In the Usuki stone images of Buddha, Oita, Japan, continuous measurements of crack displacement have been conducted in and around a sculpture engraved at rocky cliff. These measurements were aimed at obtaining information for preservation of ancient sculptures and images from rock fall. During the measurement period, irregular crack movements, related to earthquake events, were detected. Such movements eventually led to rock fall following the May 6 earthquake. These data prove the effectiveness of crack displacement measurements in predicting possible damage to the stone sculptures of cultural heritages.