Spatial structures of copper,lead, and mercury contents in surface soil in the Shenzhen area

Eighty-three surface soil samples were collected from the Shenzhen area for determination of copper, lead, and mercury contents. The nature of spatial dependence of the measured results was quantified using variogram analysis. All variograms show well-defined structure with zero nugget and distinct sills and ranges and can be fitted by a spherical model. The range scale and the geometric anisotropy of the variograms suggest that the spatial structures of copper and lead relate closely to the distribution of parent material in the area. The variogram of mercury appears to be isotropic with a relatively small range, indicating significant influence of geographical distribution of paddy soil fields that have been severely polluted by agricultural practice.