Is the accurate measurement of the coastline of the landmass you live on infinite? If not how would you go about measuring it?

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― hamish, Thursday, 23 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's obviously infinite due to Mandelbrot etc. Otherwise I think the standard is to do with circumnavigation of the coastline (due to tradition?)

― Ess Kay, Thursday, 23 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Because a coastline is an abstraction, it is impossible to measure.

― Little Nipper, Thursday, 23 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Your just jealous, coastline envy and all.

― Mr Noodles, Thursday, 23 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It is not infinite. The answer would involve the summation of an immense number of wave functions describing the position of each atom of water at time (t). That's my theory anyway. Isn't this something like what a fourier synthesis is? I'm sorry, I'm a math illiterate.

― Kris, Friday, 24 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Atom of water" apparently I am a chemistry illiterate as well.

― Kris, Friday, 24 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Canada has a problem because its arctic cost line has this habit of breaking of and floating towards the north atlantic

― anthony, Friday, 24 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

1/0

― paul barclay, Friday, 24 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Unstable coastline can be modeled with probability functions (just like economics and earthquakes) which is great because noone can prove you're wrong, they can just claim their "model" is better than yours, which is nonsense because all models have some probability of being correct.

― Kris, Friday, 24 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You just need a team of highly skilled brickies to get rid of all those chaotic curves and make it straight.

― Billy D, Friday, 24 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Australia's coastline depends on where the next lot of boat people land. the govt will be able to tell you soon after that it's not quite land.

― Senor MExican Geoff, Friday, 24 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

On a vaguely related note, how do 'inches of rainfall' work? I mean surely it depends how wide an area the rain is landing on or something? I am always confused by this. Can anyone help?

― N., Friday, 24 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

there is an international standard size for rain gauges. but anyway, if the collecting tin has the same area at the bottom as the hole at the top the size wouldn't matter

― michael, Friday, 24 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

(it's because you're measuring the height of the water, not the volume if the above didn't make sense)

― michael, Friday, 24 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

if the collecting tin has the same area at the bottom as the hole at the top the size wouldn't matter

Oh yeah, cause there's lots of raindrops. I see. I'm being dim.

― N., Friday, 24 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That's always bothered me. The 'inches of rainfall' thing I mean. Have you moved to Glasgow yet, N? It rains a lot there.

― Dr. C, Friday, 24 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes, I'll be taking my ISO compliant rain gauge tin and making regular complaints. I move in about a month's time.

― N., Friday, 24 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

About rainfall: the "x millimetres" or inches means how deep the water would be at any point on the ground (after a year, a month, 12 hours, whatever time is stated) if rain fell in even intensity and it didn't runoff or soak in.

About coastlines: mostly I think they measure them with satellite imagery - again a useful approximation. But if you really want to know how long it is set out to walk around it (and count your steps or take one of those handy measuring wheels). If you never get home it's infinite.

― isadora, Saturday, 25 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

surely everytime a more accurate sattelite imaging system was used the length of the coastline would greatly expand? But when does it stop?

― hamish, Sunday, 26 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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