Cellular models for river networks - art. no. 021118

A cellular model introduced for the evolution of the fluvial landscape is r evisited using extensive numerical and scaling analyses. The basic network shapes and their recurrence especially in the aggregation structure are the n addressed. The roles of boundary and initial conditions are carefully ana lyzed as well as the key effect of quenched disorder embedded in random pin ning of the landscape surface. It is found that the above features strongly affect the scaling behavior of key morphological quantities. In particular , we conclude that randomly pinned regions (whose structural disorder bears much physical meaning mimicking uneven landscape-forming rainfall events, geological diversity or heterogeneity in surficial properties like vegetati on, soil cover or type) play a key role for the robust emergence of aggrega tion patterns bearing much resemblance to real river networks.