Surface Topographical Evolution: Computational Methods of Analysis

Abstract

The earlier paper by Carter⁽¹⁾ described In a very general way how an eroding or growing surface can be described in terms of non-linear wave theory and some geometrical examples of developing surfaces have been described by Nobes⁽²⁾. For many practical applications however, where the characteristics are not straight lines, only computational models allow detailed quantitative calculations to be made. In three dimensions even when the characteristics are linear, the geometrical nature of the surface is usually such that computer graphics have to be used in order to visualise the physical behaviour of the eroding or growing morphology.