Faculty

Murugesu Sivapalan

Murugesu Sivapalan
  • B. Sc. Eng. (Hons), Civil Engineering,
    University of Ceylon, Sri Lanka
  • M. Eng., Asian Institute of Technology,
    Bangkok, Thailand
  • M. A., Civil Engineering, Princeton University
  • Ph.D., Civil Engineering, Princeton University
  • Research Interests, catchment hydrology,
    interactions between runoff processes, chemical and
    biological processes crucial for water quality
    predictions
  • Office: 336 Davenport Hall
  • Phone: 217-333-2675
  • E-mail: sivapala@illinois.edu

Murugesu Sivapalan joined the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in July 2005 as full Professor in the Departments of Geography (75%) and Civil & Environmental Engineering (25%).
He specializes in catchment hydrology, with a particular focus on “predictions of ungaged basins” and has made many valuable contributions towards the resolution of the unsolved problem of “prediction of ungauged catchments”. In particular he has carried out sustained and very productive research on scale issues in hydrologic modelling, the effects of heterogeneity of climate and landscape properties, scaling of flood frequency, and the development of balance equations for mass, momentum and energy directly at the scale of a catchment. Murugesu Sivapalan has successfully managed to translate these theoretical advances towards the development of predictive numerical models for the management of catchment land use for the reduction of flooding, nutrient export and salinity. He has done fundamental work on flooding and the process controls on flood frequency, which is being used to make fundamental improvements in flood estimation, especially extreme flood estimation

Major Research Themes

  • Dialogue with Nature: Climate-Soil-Vegetation Feedbacks
  • Threshold Nonlinearities and Risk Assessment
  • Hydrological Modelling and Predictive Uncertainty
  • Hydro-climatology: Climate Change and Variability
  • Human Impacts on Water Quantity and Quality
  • Biogeochemical Cycling and Riverine Water Quality

Specific Research Topics

  • Exploration of heterogeneity of landscape properties at different scales and typical process patterns at different scales
  • Investigation of space-time heterogeneity of climate inputs such as rainfall at different spatial scales in different climatic regions
  • Role of climate, soil vegetation interactions and feedbacks on water balance variability and ecological optimality
  • Identify typical space-time process patterns that dominate the hydrological dynamics in specific regions or ecosystems and understand their ecological functions
  • Derivation of closure relations to parameterize sub-grid and sub-time heterogeneity for REW models
  • Include simple model of the atmospheric boundary layer into REW theory to achieve a realistic modelling of turbulent fluxes, energy balance and therefore ET
  • A theoretical framework for scaling of REW of closure relations in space and time based on multi-scale characterisation of space-time heterogeneities
  • A theoretical framework for parameter estimation and predictive uncertainty through links to space-time heterogeneity of climate and landscape properties
  • Develop a measurement theory for testing the REW closure relations and assessment of REW scale state variables in the field through virtual models in virtual and actual catchments
  • Links between runoff processes and sediment transport processes in large river basins and investigation of process controls on sediment delivery ratio
  • Hydro-ecology: modelling of stream water quality by extension of streamflow models

Recent Publications

Refereed Journal Articles

Bari, M. A., K. R. J. Smettem and M. Sivapalan (2004). Understanding changes in annual runoff following land use changes: a systematic data-based approach. Hydrological Processes, Vol. 18 (in press).

Ocampo, C. J, M. Sivapalan and C. E. Oldham (2004). Field exploration of coupled hydrological and biogeochemical catchment responses and a unifying perceptual model. Advances in Water Resources, special issue on “Experimental Hydrology”, Editors: Jan Hopmans and Greg Pasternak, in press.

Struthers, I., M. Sivapalan and C. Hinz (2005). Conceptual examination of the influence of climate upon water balance of an open-fractured soil. I. Individual storm response. Advances in Water Resources (in press).

Struthers, I., M. Sivapalan and C. Hinz (2005). Conceptual examination of the influence of climate upon water balance of an open-fractured soil. II. Long term response to a population of storms. Advances in Water Resources (in press).

Zammit, C., M. Sivapalan, P. Kelsey and N. R. Viney (2005). Modelling the effects of land use modifications to control nutrient loads from an agricultural catchment in Western Australia. Ecological Modeling (in press).

Sivapalan, M., G. Blöschl, R. Merz and D. Gutknecht (2004). Linking flood frequency to long-term water balance: Incorporating the effects of seasonality. Water Resources Research (in press).

Viney, N. R. and M. Sivapalan (2004). Scaling of hydrologic conceptualizations: Approaches to handling subgrid variability. Hydrological Processes, Vol. 18, No. 8, pp. 1395 – 1408. DOI: 10.1002/hyp.1419.

Hipsey, M. R., M. Sivapalan and P. T. Clement (2004). A numerical and field investigation of surface heat fluxes from small wind-sheltered water bodies in semi-arid Western Australia. Environmental Fluid Dynamics, Vol. 4, pp. 79–106, 2004.

Snell, J. D., M. Sivapalan and B. C. Bates (2004). Nonlinear kinematic dispersion in channel network responses and scale effects: Application of the meta-channel concept. Advances in Water Resources, Vol. 27, pp. 141-154, doi:10.1016/j.advwatres.2003.11.003.

Hipsey, M. and M. Sivapalan (2003) Parameterizing the effect of wind-shelter on evaporation from small waterbodies. Water Resources Research, Vol. 39, No. 12, 1339, doi: 10.1029/2002WR001784.

Sivapalan, M., K. Takeuchi, S. W. Franks, V. K. Gupta, H. Karambiri, V. Lakshmi, X. Liang, J. J. McDonnell, E. M. Mendiondo, P. E. O’Connell, T. Oki, J. W. Pomeroy, D. Schertzer, S. Uhlenbrook, and E. Zehe (2003). IAHS Decade on Predictions in Ungauged Basins (PUB), 2003-2012: Shaping an exciting future for the hydrological sciences. Hydrological Sciences Journal, Vol. 48, No. 6, pp. 857-880.

Sivapalan, M. (2003). Prediction of ungauged basins: A grand challenge for theoretical hydrology. HP Today, Hydrological Processes, Vol. 17, No. 15, pp. 3163-3170. Invited Commentary

Hipsey, M., M. Sivapalan and M. Menabde (2003) The incorporation of risk in the design of engineered catchments for rural water supply in semiarid Western Australia. Hydrological Sciences Journal, Vol. 48, No. 5, pp. 709-727

Jothityangkoon, C. and M. Sivapalan (2003). Towards estimation of extreme floods: Examination of the roles of runoff process changes and floodplain flows. Journal of Hydrology, Vol. 281, pp. 206–229.

Sivapalan, M., G. Blöschl, L. Zhang, and R. Vertessy (2003). Downward approach to hydrological prediction. Hydrological Processes, Vol. 17, pp. 2101-2111, doi: 10.1002/hyp.1425.

Atkinson, S., M. Sivapalan, N. R. Viney and R. A. Woods (2003). Physical controls of space-time variability of hourly streamflows and the role of climate seasonality: Mahurangi catchment, New Zealand. Hydrological Processes, Vol. 17, pp. 2171-2193, doi: 10.1002/hyp.1327.

Eder, G., M. Sivapalan, H.P. Nachtnebel (2003). Modeling of water balances in Alpine catchment through exploitation of emergent properties over changing time scales. Hydrological Processes, Vol. 17, pp. 2125-2149, doi: 10.1002/hyp.1325.

Struthers, I., C. Hinz, M. Sivapalan, G. Deutschman, F. Beese and R. Meissner (2003). Modelling the water balance of a free-draining lysimeter using the downward approach. Hydrological Processes, Vol. 17, pp. 2151-2169, doi: 10.1002/hyp.1326.

Littlewood, I. G., B. F. W. Croke, A. J. Jakeman and M. Sivapalan (2003). The role of ‘top-down’ modelling for Prediction in Ungauged Basins (PUB). HP Today, Hydrological Processes, Vol. 17, pp. 1673-1679, doi: 10.1002/hyp.5129. Invited Commentary.

Sivapalan, M. (2003). Process complexity at hillslope scale, process simplicity at the watershed scale: Is there a connection? HP Today, Hydrological Processes, Vol. 17, pp. 1037–1041, doi: 10.1002/hyp.5109. Invited Commentary.

Silberstein, R. P., M. Sivapalan, N. R. Viney, A. Held and T. J. Hatton (2003). Modelling the energy balance of a natural jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Vol. 115, No. 201–230.

Farmer, D., M. Sivapalan and C. Jothityangkoon (2003). Climate, soil and vegetation controls upon the variability of water balance in temperate and semi-arid landscapes: Downward approach to hydrological prediction. Water Resources Research, Vol. 39, No. 2, 1035, doi: 10.1029/2001WR000328.

Atkinson, S., M. Sivapalan, R. A. Woods and N. R. Viney (2003). Dominant physical controls of hourly streamflow predictions and an examination of the role of spatial variability: Mahurangi catchment, New Zealand. Advances in Water Resources, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 219-235.
2002

Atkinson, S., R. A. Woods and M. Sivapalan (2002). Climate and landscape controls on water balance model complexity over changing time scales. Water Resources Research, Vol. 38, No. 12, 1314, doi: 10.1029/2002WR001487, pp. 50.1-50.17.

Sivapalan, M., C. Jothityangkoon and M. Menabde (2002) Linearity and nonlinearity of basin response as a function of scale: A discussion of alternative definitions. Water Resources Research, Vol. 38, No. 2, 10.1029/2001WR000482, pp. 4.1-4.5.

Jothityangkoon, C., M. Sivapalan and D. Farmer (2001). Process controls of water balance variability in a large semi-arid catchment: Downward approach to hydrological model development. Journal of Hydrology, Vol. 254, No. 1-4, pp. 174-198.

Jothityangkoon, C. and M. Sivapalan (2001). Temporal scales of rainfall-runoff processes and spatial scaling of flood peaks: Space-time connection through catchment water balance. Advances in Water Resources, Vol. 24, Nos. 9-10, pp. 1015-1036.

Menabde, M. and M. Sivapalan (2001). Linking space-time variability of rainfall and runoff fields on a river network: A dynamic approach. Advances in Water Resources, Vol. 24, Nos. 9-10, pp. 1001-1014.

Menabde, M., S. E. Veitzer, V. K. Gupta, and M. Sivapalan (2001). Tests of peak flow scaling in simulated self-similar river networks. Advances in Water Resources, Vol. 24, Nos. 9-10, pp. 991-999.

Viney, N. R. and M. Sivapalan (2001). Modelling catchment processes in the Swan-Avon River Basin. Hydrological Processes, Vol. 15, pp. 2671-2685.

Silberstein, R. P., A. Held, T. J. Hatton, N. R. Viney, and M. Sivapalan (2001). Energy balance of a natural jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest in Western Australia. Measurements in spring and summer. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Vol. 109, pp. 79-104.

Kuzuha, Y., M. Hayano, T. Kishii and M. Sivapalan (2001). The relationship between regional averages of latent and sensible heat fluxes and patch scale. Japanese Journal of Hydroscience and Hydraulic Engineering. Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 15-21.

Reggiani, P., M. Sivapalan, M. Hassanizadeh and W. G. Gray (2001). Coupled equations for mass and momentum balance in a stream network: Theoretical derivation and computational experiments. Proceedings of the Royal Society (London) Series A: Mathematical, Physical & Engineering Sciences, Vol. 457, pp. 157-189.