Temporal scale-dependent sensitivity analysis using discrete wavelet
transform and active subspaces
Abstract
Global sensitivity analysis of model parameters is an important step in
the development of a hydrological model. If available, time series of
different variables are used to increase the number of sensitive model
parameters and better constrain the model output. However, this is often
not possible. To overcome this problem, we coupled the active subspace
method with the discrete wavelet transform. The Haar mother wavelet is
the most appropriate for this purpose in case of homoschedastic
measurement error, since it avoids any loss of information through the
discrete wavelet transform of the signal. With this methodology, we
study how the temporal scale dependency of hydrological processes
affects the structure and dimension of the active subspaces. We apply
the methodology to the LuKARS model of the Kerschbaum spring discharge
in Waidhofen a.d. Ybbs (Austria). Our results reveal that the
dimensionality of an active subspace increases with increasing
hydrologic processes which are affecting a temporal scale. As a
consequence, different parameters are sensitive on different temporal
scales. Finally, we show that the total number of sensitive parameters
identified at different temporal scales is larger than the number of
sensitive parameters obtained using the complete spring discharge
signal. Hence, instead of using multiple data time series to identify
more sensitive parameters, we can also obtain more information about
parameter sensitivities from one single, decomposed time series.