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Better models are more effectively connected models.

Nunes, João Pedro and Wainwright, John and Bielders, Charles L. and Darboux, Frédéric and Fiener, Peter and Finger, David and Turnbull, Laura (2018) 'Better models are more effectively connected models.', Earth surface processes and landforms., 43 (6). pp. 1355-1360.

Abstract

Water- and sediment-transfer models are commonly used to explain or predict patterns in the landscape at scales different from those at which observations are available. These patterns are often the result of emergent properties that occur because processes of water and sediment transfer are connected in different ways. Recent advances in geomorphology suggest that it is important to consider, at a specific spatio-temporal scale, the structural connectivity of system properties that control processes, and the functional connectivity resulting from the way those processes operate and evolve through time. We argue that a more careful consideration of how structural and functional connectivity are represented in models should lead to more robust models that are appropriate for the scale of application and provide results that can be upscaled. This approach is necessary because, notwithstanding the significant advances in computer power in recent years, many geomorphic models are still unable to represent the landscape in sufficient detail to allow all connectivity to emerge. It is important to go beyond the simple representation of structural connectivity elements and allow the dynamics of processes to be represented, for example by using a connectivity function. This commentary aims to show how a better representation of connectivity in models can be achieved, by considering the sorts of landscape features present, and whether these features can be represented explicitly in the model spatial structure, or must be represented implicitly at the subgrid scale.

Item Type:Article
Full text:(AM) Accepted Manuscript
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Status:Peer-reviewed
Publisher Web site:https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4323
Publisher statement:This is the accepted version of the following article: Nunes, João Pedro, Wainwright, John, Bielders, Charles L., Darboux, Frédéric, Fiener, Peter, Finger, David & Turnbull, Laura (2018). Better models are more effectively connected models. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 43(6): 1355-1360 which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4323. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.
Date accepted:11 December 2017
Date deposited:26 January 2018
Date of first online publication:23 January 2018
Date first made open access:23 January 2019

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