1st Edition

Revival: Fractals in Soil Science (1998) Advances in Soil Science

    386 Pages
    by CRC Press

    432 Pages
    by CRC Press

    The application of fractals and fractal geometry in soil science has become increasingly important over the last few years. This self-contained and timely book was designed to provide detailed and comprehensive information on the current status of the application of fractal geometry in soil science, and on prospects for its future use. With a detailed and specific introductory chapter, particular attention is paid to comparing and contrasting "fractal" and "fragmentation" concepts. Some uses of fractals, such as to quantify the retention and transport properties of soils, to describe the intricate geometry of pore surfaces and macropore networks, or to elucidate the rooting patterns of various plants, are discussed. Applications of fractals in soil science are both relatively recent and in constant evolution. This book reflects accurately existing trends, by allowing sharp differences among the viewpoints expressed in contributed chapters to be presented to the reader in one self-contained volume.

    Fractal Geometry, Fragmentation Processes and the Physics of Scale-Invariance: An Introduction, P. Baveye and C.W. Boast
    Structural Hierarchy and Molecular Accessibility in Clayey Aggregates, H. Van Damme
    Fractal Probes of Humic Aggregation: Scattering Techniques for Fractal Dimension Determinations, V. J. Homer
    Fractal Geometry and the Description of Plant Root Systems: Current Perspectives and Future Applications, G. Bernston, J. Lynch and S. Snapp
    Quantification of Soil Microtopography and Surface Roughness, C.- h. Huang
    Fractal Models of Fragmented and Aggregated Soils, M. Rieu and E. Perrier
    Fractals and Soil Structure, F. Bartoli, P. Dutartre, V. Gomendy, S. Niquet, M. Dubuit and H. Vivier
    The Interaction Between Soil Structure and Microbial Dynamics, J.W. Crawford and I.M. Young
    Using Fractal Dimensions of Stained Flow Patterns in Clay Soils to Predict Bypass Flow, R. Hatano and H.W.G. Booltink
    2-D and 3-D Fingering in Unsaturated Soils Investigated by Fractal Analysis, Invasion Percolation Modeling and Non-Destructive Image Processing, S. Crestana and A.N.D. Posadas
    Soil-Water Conductivity of a Fractal Soil, C. Fuentes, M. Vauclin, J.-Y. Parlange and R. Haverkamp
    A Pseudo-Fractal Model for Hydraulic Property Distributions in Porous Media, F.J. Molz, T.A. Hewett and G.K. Bowman
    Index

    Biography

    In a parallel life, when he is not actively leading the team at SIMBIOS, Professor Baveye also is the Kodak Professor of Environmental Engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. His research program there revolves around the bioclogging of soils and membranes, and is intimately connected with the work done at Abertay.

    Jean-Yves Parlange was awarded the Horton Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 10 December 2003, in San Francisco, California. The medal honors "outstanding contributions to hydrology."

     Bobby A. Stewert Ph.D., is distinguished professor of Soil Science at West Texas A&M University, Canyon Texas.