Sevinc D. Ozkul

Predicting Suspended Sediment Loads and Missing Data for Gediz River, Turkey

Prediction of suspended sediment load (SSL) is important for water resources quantity and quality studies. The SSL of a stream is generally determined by direct measurement of the suspended sediment concentration or by employing sediment rating curve method. Although direct measurement is the most reliable method, it is very expensive, time consuming, and, in many instances, problematic for inaccessible sections, especially during floods. On the other hand, measuring precipitation and flow discharge is relatively easier and hence, there are more rain and flow gauging stations than SSL gauging stations in Turkey. Furthermore, due to its cost, measurements of SSL are carried out in longer periods compared to precipitation and flow measurements. Although daily precipitation and flow measurements are available for most of the Turkish river basins, at best semimonthly measurements are available for SSL. As such, it is essential to predict SSL from precipitation and flow data and to fill the gap for the missing...

Integrated technologies for environmental monitoring and information production

Preface. List of Contributors. I: Introduction. Integrated Data Management: Where are We Headed? N.B. Harmancioglu. The Conversion of Data into Information for Public Participation in Decision Making Processes M.B. Abbott. Challenges in Transboundary and Transdisciplinary Environmental Data Integration in a Highly Heterogeneous and Rapidly Changing World T. Maurer. Information Technology and Environmental Data Management M. Santos. II: Objectives and Institutional Aspects of Environmental Data Management. Information-Integration-Inspiration P. Geerders. Ocean Teacher: A Capacity Building Tool for Oceanographic Data and Information Management G. Reed. III: Design of Data Collection Networks. Environmental Monitoring Time Scales: From Transient Events to Long-Term Trends P.H. Whitfield. Regional Streamflow Network Analysis Using the Generalized Least Square Method: A Case Study in the Kizilirmak River Basin A.U. Sorman. Automated Water Quality Monitoring in Water Distribution Networks Y.A. Papadimitrakis, S.D. Ozkul. IV: Statistical Sampling. Uncertainty in Environmental Analysis V.P. Singh, et al. Physics of Environmental Frequency Analysis W.G. Strupczewski, et al. Assessment of Outliers in Statistical Data Analysis B. Onoz, B. Oguz. V: Physical Sampling and Presentation of Data. Modern Data Types for Environmental Monitoring and Water Resources Management G.A. Schultz. Assessing the Applicability of Hydrologic Information from Radar Imagery F.P.de Troch, et al. Integrated Satellite Airborne Technology for Monitoring Ice Cover Parameters and Ice-Associated Forms of Seals in the Arctic V.V. Melentyev, et al. VI: Environmental Databases. Integrated Application of United Kingdom National River Flow and Water Quality Databases for Estimating River Mass Loads I.G. Littlewood. Integrated Multidisciplinary Marine Environmental Databases V.L. Vladimirov, et al. Regional Environmental Changes: Databases and Information K.A. Karimov, R.D. Gainutdinova. Environmental Health Indicators in Europe: A pilot Project D. Dalbokova, M. Krzyanowski. VII: Data Processing, Analysis and Modeling. Downscaling of Continental-Scale Atmospheric Forecasts to the Scale of a Watershed for Hydrologic Forecasting M.L. Kavvas, et al. Upscaling Surface Flow Equations Depending upon Data Availability at Different Scales G. Tayfur. Integration of Intelligent Techniques for Environmental Data Processing E. Charou, et al. Integrated Use of Monitoring and Modeling in Water Resources Research G. Mendicino. VIII: Remote Sensing and GIS. DBMS/GIS Applications in Integrated Marine Data Management N.N. Mikhailov, A.A. Vorontsov. The Use of Satellite Remote Sensing Data in Numerical Modeling of the North Pacific Circulation V. Kuzin, et al. Application of GIS Technology in Hydrometeorological Modeling A. Vorontzov, et al. Satallite Observation of Aral Sea S.V. Stanichny, et al. Remote Sensing of the Lacustrine Environment: Data Sources and Analysis S.V. Semovski. IX: Transfer of Data into Information. From Data Management to Decision Support K. Fedra. Urban Drainage, Development Planning and Catchment Flood Management GIS Contrasts in the U.K. J.C. Packman. Metadata as Tools for Integration of Environmental Data and Information Production E. Vyazilov, et al. Perspective Decisions and Examples on the Access and Exchange of Data and Information Products Using Web and XML Application

Water Quality Monitoring and Network Design

In recent years, shortcomings of both the available data on water quality and the existing networks have led designers to focus more critically on the design procedures used. Within this respect, this chapter addresses the prevailing problems associated with water quality monitoring networks and discusses current attempts towards improvement of existing networks.

Investigating a Suitable Empirical Model and Performing Regional Analysis for the Suspended Sediment Load Prediction in Major Rivers of the Aegean Region, Turkey

This study investigates the appropriateness of four major empirical methods [Lane and Kalinske, Einstein, Brooks, Chang—Simons—Richardson] for predicting suspended sediment loads (SSLs) in three major rivers in the Aegean Region, Turkey. The measured data from 1975 to 2005 were used to test performance of the models. It was found that Brooks method was more appropriate, among the others, for predicting suspended sediment loads from each river. The prediction results of Brooks method were further improved by the use of genetic algorithm (GA_Brooks) optimizing a fitting parameter and showing a comparable performance to those of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and neuro-fuzzy (ANFIS) models for the same rivers. GA_Brooks, ANNs, and ANFIS models can be used for predicting loads at a regional scale. The sensitivity analysis results revealed that suspended and bed material particle diameters affect suspended sediment loads significantly.

Entropy-based design considerations for water quality monitoring networks

Assessment of water quality monitoring networks requires potential methods to delineate the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of current monitoring programs. To this end, the concept of entropy has been considered as a promising method in previous studies as it quantitatively measures the information produced by a network. The paper presented discusses an entropy-based approach for the assessment of combined spatial/temporal frequencies of monitoring networks. The results are demonstrated in the case of water quality data observed along the Mississippi River in Louisiana.

Selection of Variables to be Sampled

The selection of water quality variables to be sampled is a highly complicated issue since there are several variables to choose from. A brief discussion on current selection procedures is already presented in Sections 2.2 and 2.3.5 of Chapter 2.

Assessment of Sampling Sites

Assessment of an existing network starts with a review of monitoring objectives along with a thorough survey of social, legal, economic, political, administrative, and operational constraints. The next step is devoted to the evaluation of technical features that make up a network. This is the stage where sampling sites and frequencies, variables sampled and sampling duration are assessed.

Network Assessment and Redesign

Two major conclusions to be drawn from the review presented in Chapter 2 are that: a) significant problems exist in available water quality data; b) current monitoring networks reflect several shortcomings that hinder their efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The inevitable consequence of these two problems is the significant gap between information needs on water quality and the information produced by current systems of data collection. This difficulty has led to a critical assessment of methodologies used in network design. Eventually, the majority of developed and developing countries have started to evaluate their current monitoring practices and to redesign their networks (National Research Council, 1994; Ward, 1996; Ward et al., 1989 and 1994; WMO, 1994; Whitfield, 1997; Villars and Groot, 1997; Adriaanse et al., 1995; Niederlander et al., 1996; Harmancioglu and Alpaslan, 1997). Thus, what had earlier been a “design” problem in water quality monitoring has recently turned out to be an “assessment and redesign” problem. This current trend in network design underlies the basic approach adopted in this work, namely that the “design” process is treated within an “assessment and redesign” perspective.

Assessment of Combined Space/Time Design Criteria

Some design procedures combine both the spatial and the temporal design criteria to evaluate space-time trade-offs. The approach in such combined design programs is to compensate for lack of information with respect to one dimension by increasing the intensity of efforts in the other dimension (Harmancioglu and Alpaslan, 1992).

Transfer of Data into Information

Monitoring networks are designed and operated to eventually obtain information on water quality. This information is contained in the data collected by the network and has to be extracted from the data to produce the final output of a data management system described in Fig.1.1 of Chapter 1. Essentially, these methods do not only serve to produce the output information but they also help to assess the efficiency of the monitoring system by which the data are collected.