15 research outputs found

    Timing and placing samplings to optimally calibrate a reactive transport model: exploring the potential for <i>Escherichia coli</i> in the Scheldt estuary

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    For the calibration of any model, measurements are necessary. As measurements are expensive, it is of interest to determine beforehand which kind of samples will provide the maximum of information. Using a criterion related to the Fisher information matrix, it is possible to design a sampling scheme that will enable the most precise model parameter estimates. This approach was applied to a reactive transport model (based on SLIM) of Escherichia coli in the Scheldt Estuary. As this estuary is highly influenced by the tide, it is expected that careful timing of the samples with respect to the tidal cycle will have an effect on the quality of the data. The timing and also the positioning of samples were optimised according to the proposed criterion. In the investigated case studies the precision of the estimated parameters could be improved by up to a factor of ten, confirming the usefulness of this approach to maximize the amount of information that can be retrieved from a fixed number of samples

    Design of a sampling strategy to optimally calibrate a reactive transport model: Exploring the potential for <i>Escherichia coli</i> in the Scheldt Estuary

    No full text
    For the calibration of any model, measurements are necessary. As measurements are expensive, it is of interest to determine beforehand which kind of samples will provide maximal information. Using a criterion related to the Fisher information matrix as a measure for information content, it is possible to design a sampling scheme that will enable the most precise parameter estimates. This approach was applied to a reactive transport model (based on the Second-generation Louvain-la-Neuve Ice-ocean Model, SLIM) of Escherichia coli concentrations in the Scheldt Estuary. As this estuary is highly influenced by the tide, it is expected that careful timing of the samples with respect to the tidal cycle can have an effect on the quality of the data. The timing and also the positioning of samples were optimised according to the proposed criterion. In the investigated case studies the precision of the estimated parameters could be improved by up to a factor of ten, confirming the usefulness of this approach to maximize the amount of information that can be retrieved from a fixed number of samples. Precise parameter values will result in more reliable model simulations, which can be used for interpretation, or can in turn serve to plan subsequent sampling campaigns to further constrain the model parameters

    Design of a sampling strategy to optimally calibrate a reactive transport model: Exploring the potential for Escherichia coli in the Scheldt Estuary.

    No full text
    For the calibration of any model, measurements are necessary. As measurements are expensive, it is of interest to determine beforehand which kind of samples will provide maximal information. Using a criterion related to the Fisher information matrix as a measure for information content, it is possible to design a sampling scheme that will enable the most precise parameter estimates. This approach was applied to a reactive transport model (based on the Second-generation Louvain-la-Neuve Ice-ocean Model, SLIM) of Escherichia coli concentrations in the Scheldt Estuary. As this estuary is highly influenced by the tide, it is expected that careful timing of the samples with respect to the tidal cycle can have an effect on the quality of the data. The timing and also the positioning of samples were optimised according to the proposed criterion. In the investigated case studies the precision of the estimated parameters could be improved by up to a factor of ten, confirming the usefulness of this approach to maximize the amount of information that can be retrieved from a fixed number of samples. Precise parameter values will result in more reliable model simulations, which can be used for interpretation, or can in turn serve to plan subsequent sampling campaigns to further constrain the model parameters.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

    Capturing the residence time boundary layer - Application to the Scheldt Estuary.

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    At high Peclet number, the residence time exhibits a boundary layer adjacent to incoming open boundaries. In a Eulerian model, not resolving this boundary layer can generate spurious oscillations that can propagate into the area of interest. However, resolving this boundary layer would require an unacceptably high spatial resolution. Therefore, alternative methods are needed in which no grid refinement is required to capture the key aspects of the physics of the residence time boundary layer. An extended finite element method representation and a boundary layer parameterisation are presented and tested herein. It is also explained how to preserve local consistency in reversed time simulations so as to avoid the generation of spurious residence time extrema. Finally, the boundary layer parameterisation is applied to the computation of the residence time in the Scheldt Estuary (Belgium/The Netherlands). This timescale is simulated by means of a depth-integrated, finite element, unstructured mesh model, with a high space-time resolution. It is seen that the residence time temporal variations are mainly affected by the semi-diurnal tides. However, the spring-neap variability also impacts the residence time, particularly in the sandbank and shallow areas. Seasonal variability is also observed, which is induced by the fluctuations over the year of the upstream flows. In general, the residence time is an increasing function of the distance to the mouth of the estuary. However, smaller-scale fluctuations are also present: they are caused by local bathymetric features and their impact on the hydrodynamics
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