Timing and placing samplings to optimally calibrate a reactive transport model: exploring the potential for Escherichia coli in the Scheldt estuary
de Brauwere, A.; De Ridder, F.; Gourgue, O.; Lambrechts, J.; Comblen, R.; Pintelon, R.; Passerat, J.; Servais, P.; Elskens, M.; Baeyens, W. (2009). Timing and placing samplings to optimally calibrate a reactive transport model: exploring the potential for Escherichia coli in the Scheldt estuary, in: ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting 2009: A Cruise Through Nice Waters, 25-30 January 2009, Nice, France. pp. 63 In: (2009). ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting 2009: A Cruise Through Nice Waters, 25-30 January 2009, Nice, France. ASLO: Texas. 320 pp., more |  |
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| Abstract | 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. |
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