LPMLE<i>n</i>–A Frequency Domain Method to Estimate Vertical Streambed Fluxes and Sediment Thermal Properties in Semi‐Infinite and Bounded Domains

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents the LPMLE n , a new method to estimate vertical flux and thermal diffusivity from streambed temperature time series using the frequency domain. The main advantages of this new method are: (a) the use of multiple frequencies and multiple sensors for the parameter estimation; (b) noise/uncertainty handling in an optimal way; (c) the possibility to estimate the parameters with both semi‐infinite and bounded domain models; and (d) the compensation for temperature drifts in the data known as transients. The capabilities of the LPMLE n are demonstrated using both synthetic and field data, highlighting the advantages of the bounded domain model over the semi‐infinite domain model in the parameter estimation process.