MID-ATLANTIC SALT-MARSH SHORELINES - MATHEMATICAL COMMONALITIES

A fractal is a geometric figure that characteristically has great comp lexity in its boundaries. Fractals occur everywhere in nature: in plan ts and crystals, and some shorelines. Fractal dimension quantifies the degree of complexity of a fractal and ranges from 1 (a one-dimensiona l object) to 2 (a solid object). A higher fractal dimension indicates greater complexity. In this study we tested the hypothesis that the sh apes of the shorelines of mid-Atlantic salt marshes have a uniform com plexity. Fractal dimension was employed as a method of measuring the s horeline's complexity to make comparison possible. We found that marin e beaches, particularly those without creeks, had dimensions near 1. S hores that were resistive (i.e., highly irregular and rocky) had low f ractal dimensions. Salt marshes from disparate regions had fractal dim ensions that were similar to each other and also distinctly higher tha n the dimensions of all other fractal and non-fractal shores measured in this study. The constancy of the fractal dimension of the salt mars hes suggests a common geomorphological determinant.