Improving kriging of groundwater level data using nonlinear normalizing transformations—a field application

Abstract

The present research study investigates the application of nonlinear normalizing data transformations in conjunction with ordinary kriging (OK) for the accurate prediction of groundwater level spatial variability in a sparsely-gauged basin. We investigate three established normalizing methods, Gaussian anamorphosis, trans-Gaussian kriging and the Box-Cox method to improve the estimation accuracy. The first two are applied for the first time to groundwater level data. All three methods improve the mean absolute prediction error compared to the application of OK to the non-transformed data. In addition, a modified Box-Cox transformation is proposed and applied to normalize the hydraulic heads. The modified Box-Cox transformation in conjunction with OK is found to be the optimal spatial model based on leave-one-out cross-validation. The recently established Spartan semivariogram family provides the optimal model fit to the transformed data. Finally, we present maps of the groundwater level and the kriging variance based on the optimal spatial model.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor A. Montanari

Citation Varouchakis, E.A., Hristopoulos, D.T., and Karatzas, G.P., 2012. Improving kriging of groundwater level data using nonlinear normalizing transformations—a field application. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (7), 1404–1419.     

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The control of maturity and kerogen type on quantitative analytical pyrolysis data

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Radar observations of prevailing winds and waves in the Southern Hemisphere mesosphere and lower thermosphere

HF radar stations (utilizing the spaced-antenna partial-reflection technique) located at Adelaide (35°S, 138°E) and Mawson Station (67°S, 63°E) have observed horizontal mesospheric winds continuously since mid-1984. Observations in the period 1984–87 are compared with the Northern Hemisphere [latitude conjugate] stations of Kyoto (35°N, 136°E) and Poker Flat (65°N, 147°W), and with satellite-derived circulation models. Particular reference is made to the equinoctial changeovers in zonal flow and to the temporal and altitude variations in the planetary wave activity at Mawson and Adelaide.     

Body force circulations in a compressible atmosphere: Key concepts

The body force circulation problem of Eliassen is extended to spherical geometry and a quasi-compressible atmosphere using the zonally symmetric tidal theory. The concept of body force circulation is generalized to include the effects of mechanical friction and Newtonian cooling. This viewpoint is conceptually advantageous when the circulation is driven by body forces against radiative relaxation. The resulting linear theory is qualitatively useful in middle atmosphere applications, including the equatorial momentum source for which an analytic solution has not been given previously. Further generalizations of the theory are possible by including dynamical and photochemical feedback effects.     

钻孔孔径的变化对γ测井解释含量的影响

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Charge distribution on the atmospheric aerosol over the North Atlantic and the Indian Ocean

The distribution of electric charge on the marine aerosol was determined near the sea surface of the Indian Ocean and the North Atlantic during the final stage of the Snellius II-expedition. Mean values for small ion concentrationsn ⁺=455 cm^–3 andn ^–=340 cm^–3 were found over the Atlantic, whilen ⁺=310 andn ^–=250 cm^–3 were the mean values over the Indian Ocean. The ration ⁺/n^– increased from 1.2 to 2.0 with decreasing wind velocity. At wind velocities below 5 m/s 75% of the net space charge near the ocean surface was found to be carried by small ions.     

Hydrologic precursors to earthquakes: A review

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Modeling long term lake variations by physically based stochastic dynamic models

Several physically based stochastic dynamic models (SDM) are described including year-to-year variations of water volume in terminal and non-terminal lakes, streamflow of lake-fed rivers, and salinity of an inland sea (the Sea of Azov). All of these models are based upon the SDM of water volume of terminal lakes developed by Kritzky and Menkel in 1946 in co-operation with Kolomogorov. Explicit formulae are derived for second order statistical moments of the output processes, including variance, correlation function, spectra, etc., under the assumption that the forcing functions from stationary random sequences. The least-squares prediction problem is solved for both stationary and non-stationary cases. Some of the processes are shown to possess high statistical predictability. Actual predictions are compared with independent observations. Problems for further study are stated.     

Continental size,eustasy and sediment yield

Sediment yield from modern continental blocks is a function of the area (dissolved load) and hypsometry (mechanical load) of the blocks. Hypsographic curves for modern continental blocks show that the change in the percentage area flooded for any change in eustatic sea level depends on the size of the block and the absolute sea level. This allows predictions of changes in sediment yield around different sized blocks for any given eustatic change. The range in size of continental blocks is such that, for any given sea level change, the blocks will show different percentage changes in yield. Data from modern continental blocks are compared with theoretical results. Assuming that the rules governing modern hypsometries applied in the past, and a constant volume of continental crust, it is possible to estimate the hypsographic curves of former continental blocks. The implications of suggested past continental configurations and sea levels for sediment yield are discussed.