9 Amazing Fractals Found in Nature
7
of 9
Rivers
Drone image of complex marsh network at low tide
Abstract Aerial Art / Getty Images
Rivers branch out into streams because water flows from the main artery downhill, but why always in meandering S shapes? While streams can sometimes be established in a straight line, they quickly become bendy as they adapt to disturbances like wildlife dens. Just one disturbance can throw off the flow of a river and cause it to curve throughout.
How wide these streams are is also extremely formulaic. The curves, experts have found, are always six times the width of the channel. This kind of self-similarity is characteristic of fractals and the reason why rivers look alike all around the world.
of 9
Rivers
Drone image of complex marsh network at low tide
Abstract Aerial Art / Getty Images
Rivers branch out into streams because water flows from the main artery downhill, but why always in meandering S shapes? While streams can sometimes be established in a straight line, they quickly become bendy as they adapt to disturbances like wildlife dens. Just one disturbance can throw off the flow of a river and cause it to curve throughout.
How wide these streams are is also extremely formulaic. The curves, experts have found, are always six times the width of the channel. This kind of self-similarity is characteristic of fractals and the reason why rivers look alike all around the world.
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07 March 2024
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