Abstract
This study investigated the potential of methods from information science to detect hydrological alterations caused by human activity. In particular, the influence of the construction of a cascade of dams and reservoirs on the daily streamflow of the São Francisco River in Brazil is investigated by using the sample entropy (SampEn) method and its generalization, the multiscale entropy (MSE). A long daily-streamflow time series at locations upstream and downstream of a cascade of dams, recorded during the period 1929–2015, encompassing the Sobradinho dam (1979) and the Xingó dam (1994), were analyzed. It was found that reservoir operations changed the temporal variability of both the original and deseasonalized streamflow series by decreasing the degree of regularity, as indicated by higher SampEn values. In the MSE analysis, this was held for the small time scales, while larger scales reservoir operations induced a more regular streamflow regime (lower entropy values). The time variation of the streamflow regularity was also analyzed using the time-dependent sample entropy, which confirmed the preceding finding. In both the MSE and time-dependent SampEn analyses, the streamflow recorded at the São Francisco station, which is located upstream of dams and reservoirs, did not exhibit any change in entropy values due to reservoir operation, while the deseasonalized series showed a similar (although less pronounced) behavior as that for the downstream stations, indicating that, in addition to the reservoir operations, some other natural factors could have coinduced, such as a shift toward the lower regularity of the streamflow regime. These results provide the evidence that methods from information science can be useful in assessing hydrological alterations caused by human activities.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available in a repository or online in accordance with funder data retention policies (http://hidroweb.ana.gov.br.).
Acknowledgments
We acknowledge the support from the Brazilian agency CNPq (Grant Nos. 307445/2018-6 and 304497/2019-3).
References
ANA (Agencia Nacional de Água) and National Water Agency. 2018. “Agencia Nacional de Agua.” Accessed June 4, 2020. http://www.snirh.gov.br/hidroweb/serieshistoricas.
Balasis, G., I. A. Daglis, C. Papadimitriou, M. Kalimeri, A. Anastasiadis, and K. Eftaxias. 2009. “Investigating dynamical complexity in the magnetosphere using various entropy measures.” J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys. 114 (A9): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JA014035.
Bezerianos, A., S. Tong, and N. Thakor. 2003. “Time-dependent entropy estimation of EEG rhythm changes following brain ischemia.” Ann. Biomed. Eng. 31 (2): 221–232. https://doi.org/10.1114/1.1541013.
Bezerra, B. G., L. L. Silva, C. M. S. e Silva, and G. G. de Carvalho. 2019. “Changes of precipitation extremes indices in São Francisco River Basin, Brazil from 1947 to 2012.” Theor. Appl. Climatol. 135 (1–2): 565–576. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-018-2396-6.
Braga, A. C., L. G. A. Alves, L. S. Costa, A. A. Ribeiro, M. M. A. de Jesus, A. A. Tateishi, and H. V. Ribeiro. 2016. “Characterization of river flow fluctuations via horizontal visibility graphs.” Physica A 444 (Feb): 1003–1011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physa.2015.10.102.
CHESF (Companhia Hidro Elétrica do São Francisco) and São Francisco’s Hydroelectric Company. 2018. “Companhia Hidro Elétrica do São Francisco.” Accessed June 7, 2020. https://www.chesf.gov.br/.
Chou, C. M. 2012. “Applying multiscale entropy to the complexity analysis of rainfall-runoff relationships.” Entropy 14 (5): 945–957. https://doi.org/10.3390/e14050945.
Chou, C. M. 2014. “Complexity analysis of rainfall and runoff time series based on sample entropy in different temporal scales.” Stochastic Environ. Res. Risk Assess. 28 (6): 1401–1408. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-014-0859-6.
Christensen, N. S., A. W. Wood, N. Voisin, D. P. Lettenmaier, and R. N. Palmer. 2004. “The effects of climate change on the hydrology and water resources of the Colorado River basin.” Clim. Change 62 (1–3): 337–363. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:CLIM.0000013684.13621.1f.
Costa, M., A. L. Goldberger, and C. K. Peng. 2002. “Multiscale entropy analysis of complex physiologic time series.” Phys. Rev. Lett. 89 (6): 068102. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.068102.
Costa, M., C. K. Peng, A. L. Goldberger, and J. M. Hausdorff. 2003. “Multiscale entropy analysis of human gait dynamics.” Physica A 330 (1–2): 53–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physa.2003.08.022.
Darbellay, G. A., and D. Wuertz. 2000. “The entropy as a tool for analysing statistical dependences in financial time series.” Physica A 287 (3–4): 429–439. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4371(00)00382-4.
Döll, P., K. Fiedler, and J. Zhang. 2009. “Global-scale analysis of river flow alterations due to water withdrawals and reservoirs.” Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 13 (12): 2413–2432. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2413-2009.
Fang, K., B. Sivakumar, and F. M. Woldemeskel. 2017. “Complex networks, community structure, and catchment classification in a large-scale river basin.” J. Hydrol. 545 (Feb): 478–493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.11.056.
Gao, Y., R. M. Vogel, C. N. Kroll, N. L. Poff, and J. D. Olden. 2009. “Development of representative indicators of hydrologic alteration.” J. Hydrol. 374 (1–2): 136–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2009.06.009.
Grassberger, P., and I. Procaccia. 1983. “Estimation of the Kolmogorov entropy from a chaotic signal.” Phys. Rev. A 28 (4): 2591. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.28.2591.
Guzman-Vargas, L., A. Ramírez-Rojas, and F. Angulo-Brown. 2008. “Multiscale entropy analysis of electroseismic time series.” Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. 8 (4): 855–860. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-8-855-2008.
Jovanovic, T., A. Mejia, R. Siddique, and J. A. Gironas. 2014. “Statistical complexity in the hydrological information from urbanizing basins.” Accesed June 7, 2020. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014AGUFM.H42E.06J/abstract.
Kantelhardt, J. W., E. Koscielny-Bunde, D. Rybski, P. Braun, A. Bunde, and S. Havlin. 2006. “Long-term persistence and multifractality of precipitation and river runoff records.” J. Geophys. Res. Atmos. 111 (D1): D011106. https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JD005881.
Kroll, C. N., K. E. Croteau, and R. M. Vogel. 2015. “Hypothesis tests for hydrologic alteration.” J. Hydrol. 530 (Nov): 117–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.09.057.
Kustu, M. D., Y. Fan, and A. Robock. 2010. “Large-scale water cycle perturbation due to irrigation pumping in the US High Plains: A synthesis of observed streamflow changes.” J. Hydrol. 390 (3): 222–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2010.06.045.
Lake, D. E., J. S. Richman, M. P. Griffin, and J. R. Moorman. 2002. “Sample entropy analysis of neonatal heart rate variability.” Am. J. Physiol.-Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. 283 (3): R789–R797. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00069.2002.
Li, Z., and Y. K. Zhang. 2008. “Multi-scale entropy analysis of Mississippi River flow.” Stochastic Environ. Res. Risk Assess. 22 (4): 507–512. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-007-0161-y.
Liu, C., and R. Gao. 2017. “Multiscale entropy analysis of the differential RR interval time series signal and its application in detecting congestive heart failure.” Entropy 19 (6): 251.
Magilligan, F. J., and K. H. Nislow. 2005. “Changes in hydrologic regime by dams.” Geomorphology 71 (1–2): 61–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2004.08.017.
Maneta, M. P., M. Torres, W. W. Wallender, S. Vosti, M. Kirby, L. H. Bassoi, and L. N. Rodrigues. 2009. “Water demand and flows in the São Francisco River basin (Brazil) with increased irrigation.” Agric. Water Manage. 96 (8): 1191–1200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2009.03.008.
Mihailović, D. T., E. Nikolić-Đorić, N. Drešković, and G. Mimić. 2014. “Complexity analysis of the turbulent environmental fluid flow time series.” Physica A 395: 96–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physa.2013.09.062.
Morán-Tejeda, E., J. I. López-Moreno, A. Ceballos-Barbancho, and S. M. Vicente-Serrano. 2011. “River regimes and recent hydrological changes in the Duero basin (Spain).” J. Hydrol. 404 (3–4): 241–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.04.034.
Mumeka, A. 1986. “Effect of deforestation and subsistence agriculture on runoff of the Kafue River headwaters, Zambia.” Hydrol. Sci. J. 31 (4): 543–554. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626668609491073.
Pfirman, S. 2003. Complex environmental systems: Synthesis for earth, life, and society in the 21st century: A 10-year outlook for the National Science Foundation. Alexandria, VA: National Science Foundation.
Pincus, S. M. 1991. “Approximate entropy as a measure of system complexity.” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 88 (6): 2297–2301. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.88.6.2297.
Poff, N. L., J. D. Olden, D. M. Merritt, and D. M. Pepin. 2007. “Homogenization of regional river dynamics by dams and global biodiversity implications.” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 104 (14): 5732–5737. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0609812104.
Porporato, A., and L. Ridolfi. 1996. “Clues to the existence of deterministic chaos in river flow.” Int. J. Mod. Phys. B 10 (15): 1821–1862. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0217979296000830.
Rego, C. R. C., H. O. Frota, and M. S. Gusmão. 2013. “Multifractality of Brazilian rivers.” J. Hydrol. 495 (Jul): 208–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2013.04.046.
Richman, J. S., and J. R. Moorman. 2000. “Physiological time-series analysis using approximate entropy and sample entropy.” Am. J. Physiol.-Heart Circulatory Physiol. 278 (6): H2039–H2049. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.2000.278.6.H2039.
Richter, B., and G. Thomas. 2007. “Restoring environmental flows by modifying dam operations.” Ecol. Soc. 12 (1): 1–26. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-02014-120112.
Richter, B. D., J. V. Baumgartner, J. Powell, and D. P. Braun. 1996. “A method for assessing hydrologic alteration within ecosystems.” Conserv. Biol. 10 (4): 1163–1174. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1739.1996.10041163.x.
Roman, P. 2017. “The São Francisco inter-basin water transfer in Brazil: Tribulations of a megaproject through constraints and controversy.” Water Altern. 10 (2): 395–419.
Serinaldi, F., L. Zunino, and O. A. Rosso. 2014. “Complexity—Entropy analysis of daily stream flow time series in the continental United States.” Stochastic Environ. Res. Risk Assess. 28 (7): 1685–1708. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-013-0825-8.
Shannon, C. 1948. “A mathematical theory of communication.” Bell Syst. Tech. J. 27 (3): 379–423. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1538-7305.1948.tb01338.x.
Shuangcheng, L., Z. Qiaofu, W. Shaohong, and D. Erfu. 2006. “Measurement of climate complexity using sample entropy.” Int. J. Climatol. J. R. Meteorol. Soc. 26 (15): 2131–2139. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1357.
Sivakumar, B. 2009. “Nonlinear dynamics and chaos in hydrologic systems: Latest developments and a look forward.” Stochastic Environ. Res. Risk Assess. 23 (7): 1027–1036. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-008-0265-z.
Stosic, D., D. Stosic, T. Ludermir, W. de Oliveira, and T. Stosic. 2016a. “Foreign exchange rate entropy evolution during financial crises.” Physica A 449 (May): 233–239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physa.2015.12.124.
Stosic, T., L. Telesca, D. V. de Souza Ferreira, and B. Stosic. 2016b. “Investigating anthropically induced effects in streamflow dynamics by using permutation entropy and statistical complexity analysis: A case study.” J. Hydrol. 540 (Sep): 1136–1145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.07.034.
Tongal, H., M. C. Demirel, and H. Moradkhani. 2017. “Analysis of dam-induced cyclic patterns on river flow dynamics.” Hydrol. Sci. J. 62 (4): 626–641. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2016.1252841.
Watts, R. J., B. D. Richter, J. J. Opperman, and K. H. Bowmer. 2011. “Dam reoperation in an era of climate change.” Mar. Freshwater Res. 62 (3): 321–327. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF10047.
Weng, W. C., C. F. Chang, L. C. Wong, J. H. Lin, W. T. Lee, and J. S. Shieh. 2017. “Altered resting-state EEG complexity in children with Tourette syndrome: A preliminary study.” Neuropsychology 31 (4): 395. https://doi.org/10.1037/neu0000363.
Widodo, A., M. C. Shim, W. Caesarendra, and B. S. Yang. 2011. “Intelligent prognostics for battery health monitoring based on sample entropy.” Expert Syst. Appl. 38 (9): 11763–11769. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2011.03.063.
Xia, J., P. Shang, J. Wang, and W. Shi. 2014. “Classifying of financial time series based on multiscale entropy and multiscale time irreversibility.” Physica A 400 (Apr): 151–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physa.2014.01.016.
Zhang, Q., X. Gu, V. P. Singh, and M. Xiao. 2014. “Flood frequency analysis with consideration of hydrological alterations: Changing properties, causes and implications.” J. Hydrol. 519 (Part A): 803–813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.08.011.
Zhang, Q., Y. Zhou, V. P. Singh, and X. Chen. 2012. “The influence of dam and lakes on the Yangtze River streamflow: Long-range correlation and complexity analyses.” Hydrol. Processes 26 (3): 436–444. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.8148.
Zhang, Y. K., and K. E. Schilling. 2006. “Increasing streamflow and baseflow in Mississippi River since the 1940s: Effect of land use change.” J. Hydrol. 324 (1): 412–422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2005.09.033.
Zhao, Z., and S. Yang. 2012. “Sample entropy-based roller bearing fault diagnosis method.” J. Vib. Shock 31 (6): 136–140.
Zhou, Y., Q. Zhang, K. Li, and X. Chen. 2012. “Hydrological effects of water reservoirs on hydrological processes in the East River (China) basin: Complexity evaluations based on the multi-scale entropy analysis.” Hydrol. Processes 26 (21): 3253–3262. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.8406.
Zhou, Y., Q. Zhang, and V. P. Singh. 2014. “Fractal-based evaluation of the effect of water reservoirs on hydrological processes: The dams in the Yangtze River as a case study.” Stochastic Environ. Res. Risk Assess. 28 (2): 263–279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-013-0747-5.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 25 • Issue 10 • October 2020
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 5, 2019
Accepted: May 18, 2020
Published online: Jul 31, 2020
Published in print: Oct 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Dec 31, 2020
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Business management
- Construction engineering
- Construction methods
- Dams
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering mechanics
- Entropy methods
- Flow (fluid dynamics)
- Fluid dynamics
- Fluid mechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Human and behavioral factors
- Hydraulic engineering
- Hydraulic structures
- Hydrologic engineering
- Measurement (by type)
- Practice and Profession
- Reservoirs
- River engineering
- Rivers and streams
- Streamflow
- Thermodynamics
- Time dependence
- Water and water resources
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.