Spatial variability of soil texture fractal dimension and its application in sponge city construction
4 affiliations
- 1The Institute of Hydrogeologic and Engineering Geological of Wuhan, Hubei Province Geological Bureau, Wuhan, China
- 2Hubei Key Laboratory of Resource and Eco-Environment Geology, Wuhan, China
- 3School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
- 4Hubei Water Resources Technical Collage, Wuhan, China
Abstract
Accurate characterization of spatial variability of soil textures and their relationships with hydraulic properties is essential for the planning, design, and construction of sponge cities. This study explored effective approaches for characterizing the spatial variability of soil textures and determining the soil hydraulic parameters in the sponge cities by using fractal theory and geostatistics. The results show that soil particle sizes in the study area are mainly distributed between 0.002 and 0.5 mm, with silt being the dominant fraction. The fractal dimensions (D values) of soil particle size distribution (PSD) ranged from 2.07 to 2.71, with an average of 2.50. The Semi-variogram models, including the spherical and Gaussian models were found suitable for soil D values at different depths. The spatial distribution of soil D values was illustrated in a three-dimensional model, and the fractal model of soil water characteristic curves was established to understand the soil infiltration and storage capacities. Overall, this research demonstrates that fractal theory provides an efficient approach to characterize the spatial distribution of soil PSD and establish the relationship between soil D values and hydraulic parameters, offering a scientific basis for planning and construction of sponge city not only in China, but also in similar regions worldwide.
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BibTeX
@article{wang2026spatial,
title = {{Spatial variability of soil texture fractal dimension and its application in sponge city construction}},
author = {Jianjun Wang and Zhaolin Lu and Jian Tang and Yun Li and Yonghui Li and Liansan Xu and Yanfeng Liu and Zhuqiang Jiang and Lichuan Luo and Baohong Li},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0357100},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357100},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Spatial variability of soil texture fractal dimension and its application in sponge city construction
AU - Jianjun Wang
AU - Zhaolin Lu
AU - Jian Tang
AU - Yun Li
AU - Yonghui Li
AU - Liansan Xu
AU - Yanfeng Liu
AU - Zhuqiang Jiang
AU - Lichuan Luo
AU - Baohong Li
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/21
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0357100
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357100
AB - Accurate characterization of spatial variability of soil textures and their relationships with hydraulic properties is essential for the planning, design, and construction of sponge cities. This study explored effective approaches for characterizing the spatial variability of soil textures and determining the soil hydraulic parameters in the sponge cities by using fractal theory and geostatistics. The results show that soil particle sizes in the study area are mainly distributed between 0.002 and 0.5 mm, with silt being the dominant fraction. The fractal dimensions (D values) of soil particle size distribution (PSD) ranged from 2.07 to 2.71, with an average of 2.50. The Semi-variogram models, including the spherical and Gaussian models were found suitable for soil D values at different depths. The spatial distribution of soil D values was illustrated in a three-dimensional model, and the fractal model of soil water characteristic curves was established to understand the soil infiltration and storage capacities. Overall, this research demonstrates that fractal theory provides an efficient approach to characterize the spatial distribution of soil PSD and establish the relationship between soil D values and hydraulic parameters, offering a scientific basis for planning and construction of sponge city not only in China, but also in similar regions worldwide.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -