Spatial autocorrelation refers to the degree of correlation among values solely due to their relative spatial locations. Unlike standard autocorrelation, which considers correlation between different time points in a single variable, spatial autocorrelation focuses on the relationship between a variable and itself through space. It’s based on Tobler’s First Law of Geography: “everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things.” This principle underpins spatial analysis techniques like hotspot detection or cluster analysis.
