A terrain and data-based method for generating the spatial distribution of soil moisture

Abstract

Soil moisture is a critical environmental variable, as it significantly affects infiltration, evapotranspiration and surface and subsurface runoff processes. Measurement of soil moisture, however, has only recently become possible over large scales. In modelling applications, the spatial distribution of soil moisture is typically assumed to mirror that of a terrain attribute such as the wetness index of [Beven KJ, Kirkby MJ. A physically based, variable contributing area model of basin hydrology. Hydrol Sci Bull 1979;24(1):43-69] (e.g. TOPMODEL [2] . Intense ground-based measurements of the spatial distribution of soil moisture in the root zone have been conducted in Australia and New Zealan..