BaHys—A Bayesian Modeling Framework for Long‐Term Concentration‐Discharge Hysteresis: A Case Study on Chloride

Abstract Improving river water quality requires a thorough understanding of the relationship between constituent concentration and water discharge during runoff events (i.e., C‐Q hysteresis), which may be strongly non‐linear. Analysis of C‐Q hysteresis on large temporal scales provides unprecedented...

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Main Authors: Maria Cairoli, Francisco Souza, Gerard Stroomberg, Geert Postma, Lutgarde Buydens, Jeroen Jansen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-06-01
Series:Water Resources Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR035427
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author Maria Cairoli
Francisco Souza
Gerard Stroomberg
Geert Postma
Lutgarde Buydens
Jeroen Jansen
author_facet Maria Cairoli
Francisco Souza
Gerard Stroomberg
Geert Postma
Lutgarde Buydens
Jeroen Jansen
author_sort Maria Cairoli
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Improving river water quality requires a thorough understanding of the relationship between constituent concentration and water discharge during runoff events (i.e., C‐Q hysteresis), which may be strongly non‐linear. Analysis of C‐Q hysteresis on large temporal scales provides unprecedented insights into event dynamics and long‐term concentration trends in surface and groundwater. Despite the increasing availability of time series data on water quality, there are still limited quantitative modeling frameworks that enable this analysis. Here, we combine Bayesian modeling and an existing mass balance to model long‐term C‐Q hysteresis dynamics in multi‐decade constituent concentration and water discharge time series. We focus on the case study of chloride and demonstrate that our model can simultaneously characterize the size and rotation of C‐Q hysteresis, and diffuse and low‐flow inputs to constituent concentration using only time‐series data from the river Rhine. Over 28 years of monitoring, we find that chloride exhibits a dominant clockwise dilution behavior that does not vary considerably under different hydro‐climatic conditions, hinting to similar mobilization mechanisms over time. We also show decreasing chloride concentrations in surface and groundwater, due to the cessation of mining activities in the Rhine. Our approach uses uncertainty estimates to show the range within which model parameter values lie, aiding decision‐makers in a robust assessment of river water quality. We conclude that Bayesian modeling of C‐Q hysteresis provides a powerful framework for investigating long‐term contamination dynamics that can be extended to several constituents to find factors controlling their export, ultimately suggesting mitigation measures for river contamination.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 0043-1397
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language English
publishDate 2024-06-01
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spelling doaj-art-879284d60a104e09a25c4e29274876f82025-08-20T03:30:57ZengWileyWater Resources Research0043-13971944-79732024-06-01606n/an/a10.1029/2023WR035427BaHys—A Bayesian Modeling Framework for Long‐Term Concentration‐Discharge Hysteresis: A Case Study on ChlorideMaria Cairoli0Francisco Souza1Gerard Stroomberg2Geert Postma3Lutgarde Buydens4Jeroen Jansen5Radboud University Institute for Molecules and Materials Nijmegen The NetherlandsRadboud University Institute for Molecules and Materials Nijmegen The NetherlandsRadboud University Institute for Molecules and Materials Nijmegen The NetherlandsRadboud University Institute for Molecules and Materials Nijmegen The NetherlandsRadboud University Institute for Molecules and Materials Nijmegen The NetherlandsRadboud University Institute for Molecules and Materials Nijmegen The NetherlandsAbstract Improving river water quality requires a thorough understanding of the relationship between constituent concentration and water discharge during runoff events (i.e., C‐Q hysteresis), which may be strongly non‐linear. Analysis of C‐Q hysteresis on large temporal scales provides unprecedented insights into event dynamics and long‐term concentration trends in surface and groundwater. Despite the increasing availability of time series data on water quality, there are still limited quantitative modeling frameworks that enable this analysis. Here, we combine Bayesian modeling and an existing mass balance to model long‐term C‐Q hysteresis dynamics in multi‐decade constituent concentration and water discharge time series. We focus on the case study of chloride and demonstrate that our model can simultaneously characterize the size and rotation of C‐Q hysteresis, and diffuse and low‐flow inputs to constituent concentration using only time‐series data from the river Rhine. Over 28 years of monitoring, we find that chloride exhibits a dominant clockwise dilution behavior that does not vary considerably under different hydro‐climatic conditions, hinting to similar mobilization mechanisms over time. We also show decreasing chloride concentrations in surface and groundwater, due to the cessation of mining activities in the Rhine. Our approach uses uncertainty estimates to show the range within which model parameter values lie, aiding decision‐makers in a robust assessment of river water quality. We conclude that Bayesian modeling of C‐Q hysteresis provides a powerful framework for investigating long‐term contamination dynamics that can be extended to several constituents to find factors controlling their export, ultimately suggesting mitigation measures for river contamination.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR035427Bayesian modelinghysteresischloridemass balanceuncertaintyC‐Q relationship
spellingShingle Maria Cairoli
Francisco Souza
Gerard Stroomberg
Geert Postma
Lutgarde Buydens
Jeroen Jansen
BaHys—A Bayesian Modeling Framework for Long‐Term Concentration‐Discharge Hysteresis: A Case Study on Chloride
Water Resources Research
Bayesian modeling
hysteresis
chloride
mass balance
uncertainty
C‐Q relationship
title BaHys—A Bayesian Modeling Framework for Long‐Term Concentration‐Discharge Hysteresis: A Case Study on Chloride
title_full BaHys—A Bayesian Modeling Framework for Long‐Term Concentration‐Discharge Hysteresis: A Case Study on Chloride
title_fullStr BaHys—A Bayesian Modeling Framework for Long‐Term Concentration‐Discharge Hysteresis: A Case Study on Chloride
title_full_unstemmed BaHys—A Bayesian Modeling Framework for Long‐Term Concentration‐Discharge Hysteresis: A Case Study on Chloride
title_short BaHys—A Bayesian Modeling Framework for Long‐Term Concentration‐Discharge Hysteresis: A Case Study on Chloride
title_sort bahys a bayesian modeling framework for long term concentration discharge hysteresis a case study on chloride
topic Bayesian modeling
hysteresis
chloride
mass balance
uncertainty
C‐Q relationship
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR035427
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