Application of the entropy concept in design of water quality monitoring networks

Abstract

The study proposes an information-based perspective for the technical design of a network with two basic objectives: maximization of information produced by the network and minimization of accruing costs. Both are evaluated by the entropy principle which provides an information based statistical measure to evaluate the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of a monitoring network, considered here as an "information system'. The entropy concept serves four main objectives of network design: temporal design, spatial design, combined temporal/spatial design, selection of variables and determination of sampling duration. -from Authors