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A real‐space cellular automaton laboratory
Author(s) -
Rozier Olivier,
Narteau Clément
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/esp.3479
Subject(s) - cellular automaton , computer science , beach morphodynamics , representation (politics) , set (abstract data type) , process (computing) , theoretical computer science , generator (circuit theory) , stochastic cellular automaton , modular design , elementary cellular automaton , space (punctuation) , statistical physics , automaton , algorithm , sediment transport , geology , physics , programming language , mobile automaton , law , automata theory , operating system , paleontology , power (physics) , quantum mechanics , political science , sediment , politics
Geomorphic investigations may benefit from computer modelling approaches that rely entirely on self‐organization principles. In the vast majority of numerical models, instead, points in space are characterized by a variety of physical variables (e.g. sediment transport rate, velocity, temperature) recalculated over time according to some predetermined set of laws. However, there is not always a satisfactory theoretical framework from which we can quantify the overall dynamics of the system. For these reasons, we prefer to concentrate on interaction patterns using a basic cellular automaton modelling framework. Here we present the Real‐Space Cellular Automaton Laboratory (ReSCAL), a powerful and versatile generator of 3D stochastic models. The objective of this software suite, released under a GNU licence, is to develop interdisciplinary research collaboration to investigate the dynamics of complex systems. The models in ReSCAL are essentially constructed from a small number of discrete states distributed on a cellular grid. An elementary cell is a real‐space representation of the physical environment and pairs of nearest‐neighbour cells are called doublets. Each individual physical process is associated with a set of doublet transitions and characteristic transition rates. Using a modular approach, we can simulate and combine a wide range of physical processes. We then describe different ingredients of ReSCAL leading to applications in geomorphology: dune morphodynamics and landscape evolution. We also discuss how ReSCAL can be applied and developed across many disciplines in natural and human sciences. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.