Dynamic Mechanism of Dendrite Formation in Zhoukoudian, China

Abstract

Dendrite, a typical geological pattern, is developed along the bedding plane in limestone and dolomite strata in Jinzigou area, Zhoukoudian, Beijing, China, with a self-similar dendritic morphology. In order to reveal the dynamic mechanism of its formation, the diffusion-limited aggregation method, a model of fractal growth, was selected to simulate the microscopic dynamic mechanism of its formation. Take an L × L square lattice, with L = 200 lattices, 20,000 particles, and L = 250 lattices, 30,000 particles, for simulation. Obtain the simulation results of the dendritic pattern and the intermediate results with 8057 and 10,827 random particles released in the simulation process with 20,000 particles. The results show that the pattern is a typical fractal pattern formed in the process of fractal growth, with a fractal dimension of about 1.6. Its morphology is characterized by fractal geometry, and the dynamic mechanism of its formation is the fractal growth phenomenon generated by self-organizing criticality. The growth process is a nonlinear and non-equilibrium evolutionary process, which is dynamic and far from equilibrium. It is consistent with the fractal dimension of Zhoukoudian dendrite (1.52–1.78). Diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) is a typical growth process in fractal growth. It leads to the growth of randomly branching structures that closely resemble various important systems in the earth sciences, providing a theoretical basis for revealing the nature of complex geological processes.