Spatial organisation is similar to regularity or order but is related to a more complex form of regularity. It is closely associated with the form and function of a system. Spatially organised catchments exhibit complex spatial patterns of variation in state-variables or parameters. To say a system exhibits spatial organisation does not necessarily imply that it is self organised.
Currently we are conducting a series of experiments to measure spatial distributions of soil moisture in a 10ha catchment at Yarra Glen (near Melbourne). We are also characterising the spatial variability of soil properties and monitoring various meteorological variables and also surface runoff.
The soil moisture measurements are being made using TDR sensors mounted on our Terrain Data Acquisition System. Soil moisture data is being collected at over 1000 points across the catchment. In addition to the spatial soil moisture data we are collecting soil moisture profiles from 20 neutron access tubes and water levels in 74 piezometers distributed across the catchment.
Dr Andrew Western (CEAH)
Prof. Tom McMahon (CEAH)
Dr Garry Willgoose (University of Newcastle)
Dr Gunter Bloschl (Technical University of Vienna)
Dr David Goodrich (USDA)
For more information see Western et. al, 1996 (Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium) and Western et. al, 1996 (Scale Workshop)
Back to Andrew Western's Home Page
Back to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Created: January 1996
Last Modified: 31 August 1998
Access: Unrestricted
This page, its contents and style, are the
responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the views,
policies or opinions of The University of Melbourne