Optimal extension of the rain gauge monitoring network of the Apulian Regional Consortium for Crop Protection

The goal of this paper is to provide a methodology for assessing the optimal localization of new monitoring stations within an existing rain gauge monitoring network. The methodology presented, which uses geostatistics and probabilistic techniques (simulated annealing) combined with GIS instruments, could be extremely useful in any area where an extension of whatever existing environmental monitoring network is planned. The methodology has been applied to the design of an extension to a rainfall monitoring network in the Apulia region (South Italy). The considered monitoring network is managed by the Apulian Regional Consortium for Crop Protection (ARCCP), and, currently consists of 45 gauging stations distributed over the regional territory, mainly located on the basis of administrative needs. Fifty new stations have been added to the existing monitoring network, split in two groups: 15 fixed and 35 mobile stations. Two different methods were applied and tested: the Minimization of the Mean of Shortest Distances method (MMSD) and Ordinary Kriging (OK) whose related objective function is estimation variance. The MMSD, being a purely geometric method, produced a spatially uniform configuration of the gauging stations. On the contrary, the approach based on the minimization of the average of the kriging estimation variances, produced a less regular configuration, though a more reliable one from a spatial standpoint. Nevertheless, the MMSD approach was chosen, since the ARCCP’s intention was to create a new monitoring network characterized by uniform spatial distribution throughout the regional territory. This was the most important constraint given to the project by the ARCCP, whose main objective was to accomplish a territorial network capable of detecting hazardous events quickly. A seasonal aggregation of the available rainfall data was considered. The choice of the temporal aggregation in quarterly averages allowed four different optimal configurations to be determined per season. The overlapping of the four configurations allowed a number of new station locations, which tended to remain fixed season after season, to be identified. Other stations, instead, changed their coordinates considerably over the four seasons. Constraints were defined in order to avoid placing new monitoring locations either near existing stations, belonging to other Agencies, or near the coast line.