Simulating the Fractal growth of Quintana Roo’s Subaquatic Caves by the Diffusion Limited Aggregation Model

Abstract

Subaquatic caves are formed by dissolution processes between limestone and water that have been taking place for millions of years. These natural systems exhibit spatial patterns that can be studied using the theory of fractal geometry. Here we modify the Diffusion Limited Aggregation (DLA) model to simulate the fractal growth Quinta-Roo's subaquatic caves. We show that with simple dynamical rules it is possible to generate complex fractal structures similar to real caves.