Data-based Continuous-time Modelling of Environmental Systems
Résumé
In this paper we argue that many environmental processes are more naturally defined in the context of continuous-time differential equation models, normally derived by the application of natural laws, such as mass and energy conservation. As a result, there are advantages if such models are estimated directly in this continuous-time differential equation form, rather than being formulated and estimated as discrete-time models. This paper discusses these advantages and briefly describes the key features of the two toolboxes for use with MATLAB which supports the advanced time-domain methods for directly identifying linear continuous-time models from discrete-time data. The arguments presented in the paper are finally illustrated by a practical example in which the proposed data-based approach to direct CT modelling is applied to a set of rainfall-flow data.