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Excel Guide Check Dam Sediment Modeling

This guide provides instructions for using Excel to analyze sediment data from check dams, focusing on modeling the variation in sediment width and height with distance upstream. It outlines steps for data preparation, computing normalized distances, applying logarithmic transformations, fitting linear trendlines, and using the LINEST function for precise calculations. The final goal is to refine sediment volume formulas based on the fitted models.

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Lovemore Malaki
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4 views2 pages

Excel Guide Check Dam Sediment Modeling

This guide provides instructions for using Excel to analyze sediment data from check dams, focusing on modeling the variation in sediment width and height with distance upstream. It outlines steps for data preparation, computing normalized distances, applying logarithmic transformations, fitting linear trendlines, and using the LINEST function for precise calculations. The final goal is to refine sediment volume formulas based on the fitted models.

Uploaded by

Lovemore Malaki
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Excel Guide: Modeling Width and

Height Variation from Check Dam


Sediment Data
1. Objective
This guide explains how to use Excel to analyze field data from multiple check dams to
model the variation in sediment width and height with distance upstream. The goal is to
refine the sediment volume formulas by fitting power-law or taper-based models to
observed data.

2. Prepare Your Data


Create a spreadsheet with the following columns for each structure:
- Check Dam ID
- Distance from Dam Face (x, in meters)
- Width of Sediment at x (w(x), in meters)
- Height of Sediment at x (h(x), in meters)
- Total Sediment Length (L, in meters)

3. Compute Normalized Distance


For each row, compute the normalized distance as:
Normalized x = 1 - (x / L)
In Excel: =1 - (A2 / $L$2) where A2 is the distance and $L$2 is the total sediment length for
that check dam.

4. Take Logarithms
To apply a power-law model (e.g., w(x) = w0 * (1 - x/L)^n), take the natural logarithm of
width or height and the normalized x:
ln(w) = ln(w0) + n * ln(1 - x/L)
In Excel:
- ln(w): =LN(B2)
- ln(1 - x/L): =LN(C2)

5. Fit a Linear Trendline


Plot ln(w) vs. ln(1 - x/L) or ln(h) vs. ln(1 - x/L).
Add a trendline and display the equation.
- The slope is the exponent (n).
- The intercept is ln(w0) or ln(h0). Use EXP(intercept) to get w0 or h0.

6. Use LINEST Function


To compute slope and intercept more precisely:
=LINEST(LN_w_range, LN_1minusxL_range, TRUE, TRUE)
This returns an array where:
- First value: Slope (n)
- Second value: Intercept (ln(w0))

7. Apply Refined Volume Formula


Use your estimated models in the volume equation:
V = ∑ A(x) * Δx, where A(x) = 0.5 * w(x) * h(x)
Compute w(x) and h(x) using your fitted equations across x intervals.

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