Simultaneous measurements of a single fracture surface morphology and aperture distribution by an optical method

Sato, Hisashi; Sawada, Atsushi 

The authors have developed the fracture surface geometry measurement method applied by the optical measurement system of a transparent fracture replica specimen, under the same conditions as hydraulic test. Fracture surface geometry measured by the optical method shows closer shape by an alternative method, laser displacement meter. This method require to be improved, because noisy error at local points and at the edge of the specimen was found. The fracture surface geometry data is useful to correlate transmissivity estimated from aperture data based on local cubic law. The transmissivity is successfully correlated by taking account for effects of fracture slope onto transmissivity and length along flow paths.