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Stochastic modeling of variations in stream flow discharge induced by random spatiotemporal fluctuations in lateral inflow rate

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Abstract

Due to natural heterogeneity in runoff processes, the analysis of response of stream channels to the variation of lateral inflow is therefore viewed in terms of stochastic spatiotemporal processes. Based on the representation theorem, a closed-form expression is derived to describe the spectral response characteristic of stream subject to spatiotemporal fluctuations in lateral inflow. It provides a basis for evaluating the induced discharge variability in stream channels. It is found that the evolutionary power spectrum of the stream flow discharge process and therefore the variance is increased with the distance from the upstream boundary and the characteristic length scale of the lateral inflow process. Flow discharge prediction in the downstream region has a high degree of uncertainty by solving the deterministic partial differential equation.

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Acknowledgments

This research work is partly supported by the Taiwan Ministry of Science and Technology under the grants NSC 102-2218-E-009-013-MY3, NSC 102-2221-E-009-072-MY2, MOST 103-2221-E-009-156 and MOST 104-2221-E-009 -148 -MY2. We are grateful to the associate editor and anonymous reviewers for constructive comments that improved the quality of the work.

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  1. Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

    Ching-Min Chang & Hund-Der Yeh

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  1. Ching-Min Chang
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  2. Hund-Der Yeh
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Correspondence to Hund-Der Yeh.

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Chang, CM., Yeh, HD. Stochastic modeling of variations in stream flow discharge induced by random spatiotemporal fluctuations in lateral inflow rate. Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 30, 1635–1640 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-015-1170-x

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