Self-organized fractal river networks

A. Rinaldo, I. Rodriguez-Iturbe, R. Rigon, E. Ijjasz-Vasquez, and R. L. Bras
Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 822 – Published 8 February 1993
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Abstract

Optimal channel networks (OCN’s) obtained by minimizing the local and global rates of energy expenditure evolve automatically from arbitrary initial conditions to network configurations exhibiting fractal and multifractal statistics indistinguishable from those observed in nature. It is suggested that OCN’s are spatial models of self-organized criticality and that natural fractal structures like river networks may arise as a joint consequence of optimality and randomness.

  • Received 31 August 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.70.822

©1993 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

A. Rinaldo, I. Rodriguez-Iturbe, R. Rigon, E. Ijjasz-Vasquez, and R. L. Bras

  • Istituto di Idraulica ‘‘G. Poleni,’’ Università di Padova, via Loredan 20, I-35131 Padova, Italy
  • Instituto Internacional de Estudios Avanzados, P.O. Box 17606, Caracas, Venezuela
  • Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory, Massachusetts Insitute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

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Vol. 70, Iss. 6 — 8 February 1993

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