Australian gridded chloride deposition-rate dataset

Chloride deposition-rate measurements at points within Australia are upscaled to the entire continent on a regular 0.05 degrees grid. The upscaling uses a double-exponential correlation between deposition rate and distance to the coast, where the parameters in the double-exponential are spatially varying. These parameters are estimated using least-squares with Tikhonov regularisation to ensure minimal spatial variability. A calibration-constrained, null-space Monte-Carlo analysis is used to quantify uncertainty in the prediction. The resulting dataset consists of the best-fit chloride deposition rates across Australia, as well as estimates of uncertainty. The dataset can be used for various purposes including: estimating groundwater recharge through the use of the chloride mass-balance method; catchment salt balance estimates; regional investigations of groundwater hydrochemistry; and, corrosion prediction. (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.

Automated summary

This study upscales chloride deposition-rate measurements at various points in Australia to the entire continent and estimates uncertainties. The resulting dataset can be used for estimating groundwater recharge, salt balance estimates, regional investigations of groundwater hydrochemistry, and corrosion prediction.