Disclosed is a method and apparatus for measuring in-situ stress in rock
using a thermal crack. The method involves forming a borehole, cooling a
wall of the borehole, applying tensile thermal stress, forming a crack in
the borehole wall, and measuring temperature and cracking point.
Afterwards, the borehole wall is heated to close the formed crack, the
borehole wall is cooled again to re-open the crack, and temperature is
measured when the crack is re-opened. The in-situ stress of the rock is
calculated using a first cracking temperature at which the crack is
formed and a second cracking temperature at which the crack is re-opened.
Further, the apparatus cools, heats and re-cools the borehole wall,
thereby measuring the first cracking temperature, the second cracking
temperature, and the cracking point.