They include faulting and fracturing in rocks and tectonic zones and the distribution of ore and petroleum deposits. Earlier in this course, we discussed the fractal dimension of objects. First, as a class we examined the coast lines of British Isles. Then, every student found a leaf and calculated its fractal dimension. It was an interesting delve into the search to understand how coast lines are shaped and what controls their erosion.
Every river is the culmination of a large area of land.
The water on this land drains and flows into the river. Drainage basins are related to the legnth of the river into which they rain. Because of the expenses involved in drilling test holes, these geologists have turned to fractal relationships for help in estimating tonnages and gallons of deposits. Hack, J. T., Studies of Longitudinal Stream Profiles in Virginia and Maryland, US Geol. Cargill, S.M., Root, D.H., and Bailey, E.H., J., Econ.