SM&FT 2006

 

Self-stabilised fractality of sea-coasts through damped erosion

 

 

Andrea Gabrielli

 

 

Abstract

 

Erosion of rocky coasts spontaneously creates irregular seashores.    But the geometrical irregularity, in turn, damps the sea-waves,   
decreasing the average wave amplitude. There may then exist a mutual    self-stabilisation of the waves amplitude together with the irregular   
morphology of the coast. A simple model of such stabilisation    is studied. It leads, through a complex dynamics of the earth-sea    interface, to the appearance of a stationary fractal seacoast with    dimension close to 4/3. Fractal geometry plays here the role of a    morphological attractor directly related to percolation    geometry.