Uncertainty Evaluation and Compensation for Reservoir’s Bathymetric Patterns Predicted with Radial Basis Function Approaches Based on Conventionally Acquired Water Depth Data

Information pertaining to a reservoir’s bathymetry is of utmost significance for water resource sustainability and management. The current study evaluated and compensated the reservoir’s bathymetric patterns established using radial basis function (RBF) approaches. Water depth data were acquired by conventionally rolling out a measuring tape into the water. The water depth data were split into three (3) categories, i.e., training data, validation data, and test dataset. Spatial variations in the field-measured bathymetry were determined through descriptive statistics. The thin-plate spline (TPS), multiquadric function (MQF), inverse multiquadric (IMQF), and Gaussian function (GF) were integrated into RBF to establish bathymetric patterns based on the training data. Spatial variations in bathymetry were assessed using Levene’s k-comparison of equal variance. The coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE) and absolute error of mean (AEM) techniques were used to evaluate the uncertainties in the interpolated bathymetric patterns. The regression of the observed estimated (ROE) was used to compensate for uncertainties in the established bathymetric patterns. The Levene’s k-comparison of equal variance technique revealed variations in the predicted bathymetry, with the standard deviation of 8.94, 6.86, 4.36, and 9.65 for RBF with thin-plate spline, multi quadric function, inverse multiquadric function, and Gaussian function, respectively. The bathymetric patterns predicted with thin-plate spline, multiquadric function, inverse multiquadric function, and Gaussian function revealed varying accuracy, with AEM values of −1.59, −2.7, 2.87, and −0.99, respectively, R2 values of 0.68, 0.62, 0.50, and 0.70, respectively, and RMSE values of 4.15, 5.41, 5.80 and 3.38, respectively. The compensated mean bathymetric values for thin-plate spline, multiquadric function, inverse multiquadric function, and Gaussian-based RBF were noted to be 18.21, 17.82, 17.35, and 18.95, respectively. The study emphasized the ongoing contribution of geospatial technology towards inland water resource monitoring.