A tangible object or mathematical function made up of parts similar to the whole in some way, such that any small part of it , enlarged has the same statistical character as the original. Fractals are often employed in soil science to model soil aggregation, pore networks and soil fragmentation:

• fractal dimention-A measure of the dimensionality of a fractal object or function. Its value is generally a fractional number that is either less or greater than the Euclidean dimension of the space in which the fractal is embedded.
• fragmentation- The act of breaking apart a tangible object or mathematical function into pieces or fragments
• monofractals-Fractals that can be characterized by a single fractal dimension.
• multifractal-A type of fractal, usually associated with multplicative cascades, that is characterized by a spectrum of generalized or R<é>nyii dimensions instead of a single fractal dimenion. Used to scale soil spatial and temporal variablility.