The propagation and closure behavior of surface crack initiated at a sharply notched specimens were investigated in 5083-H113 aluminium alloy under constant amplitude of tension load by the unloading elastic compliance method. The crack shape (aspect ratio) was found to be approximately semicircular during the crack was being small and to be changed to semi-elliptical during it was being long. The propagation rate of a surface crack initiated from notch root decelerated with increasing crack length when the crack was small and then accelerated when it was large. The effect of stress ratio was large in lower .DELTA.K range, but the effective stress intensity factor range .DELTA.K$_{eff}$ was found to diminish the difference of the crack propagation rate. By considering the increase in crack closure stress with crack length and examining the microphotographs, plasticity-induced and roughness-induced crack closure mechanisms were predominant in the range of this study.y.