Open AccessUncertainty of design water levels due to combined bed form and vegetation roughness in the D utch R iver W aal
Author(s) -
Warmink J.J.,
Straatsma M.W.,
Huthoff F.,
Booij M.J.,
Hulscher S.J.M.H.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of flood risk management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.049
H-Index - 36
ISSN - 1753-318X
DOI - 10.1111/jfr3.12014
Subject(s) - vegetation (pathology) , interval (graph theory) , environmental science , flood myth , confidence interval , hydrology (agriculture) , surface finish , interpretation (philosophy) , soil science , computer science , statistics , mathematics , geotechnical engineering , geology , engineering , geography , medicine , pathology , mechanical engineering , archaeology , combinatorics , programming language
Two‐dimensional hydrodynamic models are frequently used for flood protection studies to compute inundation patterns and to estimate potential economic damage. However, the modelling of river processes involves numerous uncertainties. Knowledge of the type and magnitude of uncertainties is crucial for a meaningful interpretation of the model outcomes and its usefulness in decision making. The objective of this study was to quantify the uncertainty in the design water levels due to uncertain bed form and vegetation roughness for the D utch R iver W aal. We quantified and combined these sources of uncertainty by means of a M onte C arlo simulation. The results showed that the 95% confidence interval of the design water levels is 0.49 m, 0.34 m and 0.12 m for bed form, vegetation classification and vegetation roughness parameterisation, respectively, and approximately 0.68 m for the combined roughness. These uncertainties are significant in view of D utch river management practice.