ABSTRACT
This practice uses the SPRUCE field experiment as a case study to explore how a model’s parameter values influence its output via sensitivity analysis, and how parameters may be estimated via assimilation of data from field measurements. Exercise 1 addresses how certain model output variables are sensitive to changes in certain parameter values. Exercise 2 illustrates how observational data change posterior parameter distributions in comparison to the priors. In this practice, we use data from the SPRUCE research site in Northern Minnesota, USA, as a context to show possible studies you could conduct by using data assimilation. The exercises may be performed using the CarboTrain software. Instructions for installing and working with CarboTrain are available in Appendix 3.
