Fracture spacing and its relation to bed thickness

Using examples from the Gulf of Suez and southeastern France, the distribution of tension tectonic joints as well as shear tectonic joints in continuous profiles is shown to fit a Gamma distribution. The parameters of this distribution are determined using the maximum likelihood method. Apparent fit with negative exponential distribution in photointerpretation analysis results from lack of resolution. The average joint spacing is directly proportional to bed thickness; it decreases when the degree of rock consolidation increases.