Fractal analysis of the Oyo River, cave systems, and topography of the Gunungsewu karst area, central Java, Indonesia

Gunungsewu, the southernmost subzone of the Southern Mountains, central Java, is a classic karst terrain, bounded by the Oyo River on the north and the Indian Ocean on the south. In this study, the Oyo River, the main drainage in the area, is divided into 14 segments, and the fractal dimension of each segment is determined by the box-counting method. The 14 segments show various values of fractal dimensions, which are controlled by lithology and geologic structures of the area that is being dissected by the river. Easily eroded lithologies have larger fractal dimensions, and the value changes abruptly when the river crosses faults. Fractal dimensions of six underground rivers in the Bribin, Sodong, Semuluh, Jomblang, Soga, and Sumurup caves, and the surface topography above the caves were also determined. The caves have fractal dimensions that range from 1.043 ±0.01 to 1.08±0.01; the surface topography has fractal dimensions that range from 1.49±0.01 to 1.732±0.01. The fractal dimension of an underground river is proportional to the fractal dimension of the surface topography over the passage. Larger fractal dimensions of underground rivers are associated with smaller flow rates of the rivers. Received, June 1998Revised, March 1999, August 1999, February 2000Accepted, February 2000