FRACTAL GEOMETRY OF INDIVIDUAL RIVER CHANNELS AND ITS COMPUTER-SIMULATION

A new method for analyzing the self-similarity and self-affinity of si ngle-thread channels is proposed. It permits the determination of the fractal scaling exponents, of the characteristic scales, and the evalu ation of the degree of anisotropy for self-similar fractal lines. Base d upon the application of this method to the Dniester and Pruth rivers we established the self-similarity of the river pattern on small scal es and the self-affinity on large scales. For these rivers we obtained the fractal scaling exponents, the characteristic scales, and the ani sotropy parameters. A computer model has been developed which simulate s river patterns whose fractal properties are close to the properties of natural objects. A generalized model of fractal behavior of natural rivers is proposed. On the basis of self-affinity of natural and simu lated rivers on large scales, a hypothesis has been formulated which e xplains the violation of the dimension principle in the well-known rel ation between the river length and the catchment area,