Best paper in Hydrology Research 2010

The prize for 2010 was awarded to Asgeir Petersen-Øverleir for the contribution

Fitting depth-discharge relationships in rivers with floodplains Hydrology Research, Vol. 39, No. 5-6, 369-384, 2008

The paper takes us back to the roots of hydrology. Without reliable measurements in the field there would be no hydrology. Theoretically-based data processing is an inherent part of this effort. The author has developed a method for reliable estimation of the flow depth-discharge curve, also denoted the rating curve, in the case where the cross section consists of a main channel flanked by floodplains. The problem is solved using piecewise regression, where the changing point is found by optimisation. To avoid entering a local minimum global optimisation has been applied. Moreover, bootstrap inference is introduced to estimate confidence limits for the changing point and other model parameters. The developed method is an elegant, efficient and practically applicable method that can ensure more precise discharge data.