(Hydraulic fracturing experiments are performed on large igneous and metamorphic rock samples of size 300 mm × 300 mm × 450 mm at controlled conditions in the laboratory. The fractures are created by injecting high-pressure fluid into the rock. The growth and propagation of fractures and the associated micro-fractures are monitored via acoustic emission data recorded by transducers attached to the samples. These data sets then serve as benchmark data for verifying existing or new hydraulic stimulation codes which are used for field-scale stimulation design.)