Abstract - On the basis of results of simple box-counting
analysis, it has been suggested in several recent publications that natural
fracture patterns are fractal. Fractal patterns are characterised by self-similarity
of structure on a range of scales and provide straight line distributions
on box-counting plots. New analysis of a fracture pattern that provided
the most convincing straight-line box-counting curve previously published,
shows that the curve is non-linear and, therefore, that the fracture pattern
is not fractal. Non-linear box-counting curves are also characteristic
of other natural fracture patterns analysed but spurious linear curves
can be obtained if the area analysed extends beyond the mapped area.
Journal of Structural Geology 15, 1509-1512, 1993.