A data-based mechanistic modelling (DBM) approach to understanding dynamicsediment transmission through Wyresdale Park Reservoir, Lancashire, UK

This paper outlines the application of a new data-based mechanistic (DBM) m odelling methodology to the characterization of the sediment transmission d ynamics in a small upland reservoir, Wyresdale Park, Lancashire. The DBM mo delling strategy exploits advanced statistical procedures to infer the dyna mic model structure and its associated parameters directly from the instrum ented data, producing a parametrically efficient, continuous time, transfer function model which relates suspended sediment load at the reservoir infl ow to the outflow at the event scale. The associated differential equation model parameters have physical attributes which can be interpreted in terms of sediment transmission processes and associated reservoir trap efficienc y. Sedigraph analysis suggests that wind-induced resuspension episodically supplies an additional load to the reservoir outlet. The stochastic nature of the DBM model makes it ideal for evaluating the effects of uncertainty t hrough Monte Carlo simulations (MCS) for discharge and sediment transmissio n. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.