Fractal river basins

The interplay between probability, physics, and geometry is at the frontier of current studies of river basins. This book considers river basins and drainage networks in light of their scaling and multiscaling properties and the dynamics responsible for their development. The hydrology of river basins and prediction of their growth demands knowledge of a range of temporal and spatial scales. At the core of Fractal River Basins is the search for the hidden order of these temporal and spatial variabilities in river basins, despite variations in size, climate, and geology. The search concentrates on the detection and dynamic origins of fractal features and the crucial role of self-organization. Rodriguez-Iturbe and Rinaldo provide a theoretical basis for the arrangement of branching networks of river basins. The commonality of branching networks to other natural phenomena makes this book applicable to a wide range of disciplines. Hydrologists and geomorphologists will find that this book opens up the important topic of the fractal structure of networks at an accessible level. Mathematicians and physicists will appreciate the application of the theory to this aspect of the earth sciences. Comprehensive, well illustrated, and with many real-world examples, Fractal River Basins will be useful to researchers and students alike.