Influence of constant rate versus slug injection experiment type on parameter identifiability in a 1‐D transient storage model for stream solute transport

[1] One-dimensional solute transport modeling to simulate experimental tracer releases in rivers is common practice. However, few studies have investigated the effect of experiment type (slug injection versus constant rate injection) on model parameter sensitivity and identifiability. We conducted slug injection and constant-rate experiments in a low-gradient, alluvial, headwater tundra stream in northern Alaska. Each experimental data set was simulated with the one-dimensional transport with inflow and storage (OTIS) model and analyzed with Monte Carlo-based techniques to investigate differences in global sensitivity and time-varying identifiability of the model parameters. We found that the longitudinal dispersion parameter exhibited relatively high sensitivity for the slug injection data, while the storage zone area parameter exhibited relatively high sensitivity for the constant rate injection data. The storage zone area and storage zone – main channel exchange rate parameters show heightened sensitivity during rising and tailing portions of the constant rate injection breakthrough curve, whereas for the slug injection data, increased identifiability for these parameters is only observed during the tailing portion of the breakthrough curve. Results demonstrate that selection of slug injection or constant rate experiment type impacts parameter sensitivity and time-varying identifiability and that experimental data can easily be analyzed to understand the relative information content associated with each parameter of a 1-D transient storage model.

[1]  M. B. Beck,et al.  The Identifiability of Conceptual Hydrochemical Models , 1990 .

[2]  D. C. Mays,et al.  Plume spreading in groundwater by stretching and folding , 2012 .

[3]  Brian J. Wagner,et al.  Evaluating the Reliability of the Stream Tracer Approach to Characterize Stream‐Subsurface Water Exchange , 1996 .

[4]  Thorsten Wagener,et al.  Dynamic identifiability analysis of the transient storage model for solute transport in rivers , 2002, Journal of Hydroinformatics.

[5]  Daniel M. Tartakovsky,et al.  Type curve interpretation of late‐time pumping test data in randomly heterogeneous aquifers , 2007 .

[6]  Neil McIntyre,et al.  Towards reduced uncertainty in conceptual rainfall‐runoff modelling: dynamic identifiability analysis , 2003 .

[7]  K. Beven,et al.  Bayesian Estimation of Uncertainty in Runoff Prediction and the Value of Data: An Application of the GLUE Approach , 1996 .

[8]  E. D. Cobb,et al.  Measurement of discharge using tracers , 1984 .

[9]  S. Wondzell.  Effect of morphology and discharge on hyporheic exchange flows in two small streams in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, USA , 2006 .

[10]  R. Spear.  Eutrophication in peel inlet—II. Identification of critical uncertainties via generalized sensitivity analysis , 1980 .

[11]  C. Hopkinson,et al.  Surface and hyporheic transient storage dynamics throughout a coastal stream network , 2010 .

[12]  K. Bencala,et al.  Automated calibration of a stream solute transport model: implications for interpretation of biogeochemical parameters , 2003, Journal of the North American Benthological Society.

[13]  J. McNamara,et al.  Transient storage as a function of geomorphology, discharge, and permafrost active layer conditions in Arctic tundra streams , 2007 .

[14]  Michael N. Gooseff,et al.  Sensitivity analysis of conservative and reactive stream transient storage models applied to field data from multiple-reach experiments , 2005 .

[15]  Brian J. Wagner,et al.  Experimental design for estimating parameters of rate‐limited mass transfer: Analysis of stream tracer studies , 1997 .

[16]  Robert L. Runkel,et al.  One-Dimensional Transport with Inflow and Storage (OTIS): A Solute Transport Model for Streams and Rivers , 1998 .

[17]  Soroosh Sorooshian,et al.  A framework for development and application of hydrological models , 2001, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences.

[18]  James P. McNamara,et al.  Comparison of instantaneous and constant‐rate stream tracer experiments through non‐parametric analysis of residence time distributions , 2008 .