Structure and self-similarity in silty and sandy soils: the fractal approach

SUMMARY Soil structure was studied using the concept of fractals and related to soil texture and aggregate properties such as surface charges and aggregate stability. The mass and porosity fractal dimensions (Dm and Dp) of silty and sandy soils were determined on in situ soils using a variety of soil sections (thin, very-thin and ultra-thin), by image analysis on a continuous scale from m to 10−9 to 10−1m. Surface fractal dimensions (Ds) of these soils were determined on < 2 mm air-dried samples using mercury porosimetry and the fractal cube generator model. The results suggest that soils are not pore fractals but mass and surface fractals with Dm= 1.1 Ds when the dimension of the embedding Euclidean space d is 3. The soil structures could possibly be described by fractal diffusion-limited aggregation with complex interconnected aggregates or by fractal cluster–cluster aggregation models. As a preliminary conclusion, the fractal approach appears to be a potentially useful tool for understanding the underlying mechanisms in the creation or destruction of soil structure.