How to Describe and Propagate Uncertainty When Processing Time Series: Metrological and Computational Challenges, with Potential Applications to Environmental Studies

  • Christian Servin
  • Martine Ceberio
  • Aline Jaimes
  • Craig Tweedie
  • Vladik Kreinovich
Part of the Intelligent Systems Reference Library book series (ISRL, volume 47)

Abstract

Time series comes from measurements, and often, measurement inaccuracy needs to be taken into account, especially in such volatile application areas as meteorology and economics. Traditionally, when we deal with an individual measurement or with a sample of measurement results, we subdivide a measurement error into random and systematic components: systematic error does not change from measurement to measurement while random errors corresponding to different measurements are independent. In time series, when we measure the same quantity at different times, we can also have correlation between measurement errors corresponding to nearby moments of time. To capture this correlation, environmental science researchers proposed to consider the third type of measurement errors: periodic. This extended classification of measurement error may seem ad hoc at first glance, but it leads to a good description of the actual errors. In this paper, we provide a theoretical explanation for this semi-empirical classification, and we show how to efficiently propagate all types of uncertainty via computations.

Keywords

Measurement Error Error Component Random Component Eddy Covariance Expert Estimate 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. 1.
    Aubinet, M., Vesala, T., Papale, D. (eds.): Eddy Covariance – A Practical Guide to Measurement and Data Analysis. Springer, Hiedelberg (2012)Google Scholar
  2. 2.
    Cormen, T.H., Leiserson, C.E., Rivest, R.L., Stein, C.: Introduction to Algorithms. MIT Press, Cambridge (2009)MATHGoogle Scholar
  3. 3.
    Cryer, J.D., Chan, K.-S.: Time Series Analysis. Springer, New York (2010)Google Scholar
  4. 4.
    Garloff, J.: Zur intervallmässigen Durchführung der schnellen Fourier-Transformation. ZAMM 60, T291–T292 (1980)Google Scholar
  5. 5.
    Herrera, J.: A robotic tram system used for understanding the controls of Carbon, water, of energy land-atmosphere exchange at Jornada Experimental Range. Abstracts of the 18th Symposium of the Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Program, Las Cruces, New Mexico, July 15 (2010)Google Scholar
  6. 6.
    Jaimes, A.: Net ecosystem exchanges of Carbon, water and energy in creosote vegetation cover in Jornada Experimental Range. Abstracts of the 18th Symposium of the Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Program, Las Cruces, New Mexico, July 15 (2010)Google Scholar
  7. 7.
    Jaimes, A., Tweedie, C.E., Peters, D.C., Herrera, J., Cody, R.: GIS-tool to optimize site selection for establishing an eddy covariance and robotic tram system at the Jornada Experimental Range. Abstracts of the 18th Symposium of the Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Program, Las Cruces, New Mexico, July 15 (2010)Google Scholar
  8. 8.
    Jaimes, A., Tweedie, C.E., Peters, D.C., Ramirez, G., Brady, J., Gamon, J., Herrera, J., Gonzalez, L.: A new site for measuring multi-scale land-atmosphere Carbon, water and energy exchange at the Jornada Experimental Range. Abstracts of the 18th Symposium of the Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Program, Las Cruces, New Mexico, July 15 (2010)Google Scholar
  9. 9.
    Klir, G.J., Yuan, B.: Fuzzy Sets and Fuzzy Logic. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River (1995)MATHGoogle Scholar
  10. 10.
    Kreinovich, V.: Interval computations and interval-related statistical techniques: tools for estimating uncertainty of the results of data processing and indirect measurements. In: Pavese, F., Forbes, A.B. (eds.) Data Modeling for Metrology and Testing in Measurement Science, pp. 117–145. Birkhauser-Springer, Boston (2009)Google Scholar
  11. 11.
    Laney, C., Cody, R., Gallegos, I., Gamon, J., Gandara, A., Gates, A., Gonzalez, L., Herrera, J., Jaimes, A., Kassan, A., Kreinovich, V., Nebesky, O., Pinheiro da Silva, P., Ramirez, G., Salayandia, L., Tweedie, C.: A cyberinfrastructure for integrating data from an eddy covariance tower, robotic tram system for measuring hyperspectral reflectance, and a network of phenostations and phenocams at a Chihuahuan Desert research site. Abstracts of the FLUXNET and Remote Sensing Open Workshop: Towards Upscaling Flux Information from Towers to the Globe, Berkeley, California, June 7-9, p. 48 (2011)Google Scholar
  12. 12.
    Lee, X., Massman, W., Law, B.: Handbook of Micrometeorology – A Guide for Surface Flux Measurements. Springer, Heidelberg (2011)Google Scholar
  13. 13.
    Liu, G., Kreinovich, V.: Fast convolution and fast Fourier transform under interval and fuzzy uncertainty. Journal of Computer and System Sciences 76(1), 63–76 (2010)MathSciNetMATHCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. 14.
    Moncrieff, J.B., Malhi, Y., Leuning, R.: The propagation of errors in long-term measurements of land-atmospheric fluxes of carbon and water. Global Change Biology 2, 231–240 (1996)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. 15.
    Nguyen, H.T., Walker, E.A.: First Course In Fuzzy Logic. CRC Press, Boca Raton (2006)Google Scholar
  16. 16.
    Rabinovich, S.: Measurement Errors and Uncertainties: Theory and Practice (2005)Google Scholar
  17. 17.
    Ramirez, G.: Quality data in light sensor network in Jornada Experimental Range. Abstracts of the 18th Symposium of the Jornada Basin Long Term Ecological Research Program, Las Cruces, New Mexico, July 15 (2010)Google Scholar
  18. 18.
    Richardson, A.D., et al.: Uncertainty quanitication. In: Aubinet, M., Vesala, T., Papale, D. (eds.) Eddy Covariance – A Practical Guide to Measurement and Data Analysis, pp. 173–209. Springer, Heidelberg (2012)Google Scholar
  19. 19.
    Sheskin, D.J.: Handbook of Parametric and Nonparametric Statistical Procedures. Chapman and Hall/CRC Press, Boca Raton (2011)Google Scholar
  20. 20.
    Shumway, R.H., Stoffer, D.S.: Time Series Analysis and Its Applications. Springer, New York (2010)Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Christian Servin
    • 1
  • Martine Ceberio
    • 1
  • Aline Jaimes
    • 1
  • Craig Tweedie
    • 1
  • Vladik Kreinovich
    • 1
  1. 1.Cyber-ShARE CenterUniversity of Texas at El PasoEl PasoUSA

Personalised recommendations