Title: Comparative evaluation with the analytical hierarchy procedure of the Kalinske, Brooks, and Toffaleti equations used to estimate suspended-sediment discharges in rivers

Authors: Nazila Sedaei; Ali Salajegheh

Addresses: Sari Agriculture and Natural Resources University (SANRU), Mazandaran Province, Sari City, Iran ' Faculty of Natural Resources, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, The University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

Abstract: This paper presents a comparative analysis of the application of the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to determine the reliability of three equations used estimate suspended-sediment discharges at the Armand River in Iran. The AHP procedure was utilised to compare the discharges of suspended sediments measured at a station on the Armand River with results calculated with the equations derived by Kalinske (1942), Brooks (1963) and Toffaleti (1969). The equations were then used with the applicable coefficients from the literature to estimate sediment loads for the same periods as those calculated from the field data. A weighted coefficient was calculated from the estimated results from each equation and compared to each other and the field data. The results of the analysis with the AHP model provided an objective screening and ranking procedure with respect to accuracy, economic, and numbers of input parameters criteria.

Keywords: analytical hierarchy process; AHP; Lane-Kalinske equations; Brooks equations; Toffaleti equations; suspended sediment discharges; rivers; Iran.

DOI: 10.1504/IJW.2015.067449

International Journal of Water, 2015 Vol.9 No.1, pp.89 - 104

Received: 02 Aug 2013
Accepted: 11 Sep 2013

Published online: 30 Apr 2015 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article