A computer program for fractal dimension (FRACEK) with application on type of mass movement characterization

The aim of this study is to develop a computer program (FRACEK) for fractal dimensions of amorphous areas, and to apply this program on various mass movements. FRACEK has been developed using Java technology with an object-oriented approach. The input of FRACEK is a set of 2-dimensional images including the amorphous areas of which fractal values are to be computed. FRACEK is a user-friendly program that can be used to calculate fractal dimensions easily and can be used in various earth science applications. In this study, published maps were utilized when applying FRACEK to various mass movements. A total of 116 mass movement data were employed. In addition to the fractal dimensions (D), the width (W) to length (L) ratio of each mass movement was calculated. The relationship between the W/L ratio and the D was investigated. Relatively high correlations were found between the D and the W/L ratio. The results of this study indicate that it is possible to make a differentiation among the mass movements using the fractal dimension. However, further research is required for evaluation all types of mass movements. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.