Time-Dependent Solution of Multi-Segment Mass Balance Models of Contaminants in the Great Lakes

Time-dependent solutions of multi-segment mass balance models, such as Chopra's (1977) model of total phosphorus in the Great Lakes, can be found using similarity transformations, based, in most cases, on the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the model coefficient matrix. The time-dependent solution may be used to evaluate year-to-year variations in the system response to time-variable forcing, or to determine model uncertainty due to temporal variation in the model coefficients.