Fracture aperture and spacing are normally concealed properties of undisturbed fractured rocks. These two properties are disturbed by exposure; therefore, an indirect method is required to evaluate the in-situ values of fracture aperture and spacing. This paper presents a quantitative method to characterize fracture aperture and spacing. Precursory radon data is used to determine fracture porosity in a naturally fractured aquifer. Well tests are used to estimate aquifer transmissivity and fracture permeability. Assuming three mutually orthogonal sets of fractures are common in nature, in-situ fracture aperture and spacing can be characterized from fracture porosity and permeability.

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