Optimization of a monitoring network for sulfur dioxide

In this study, we develop and apply a methodology to reduce an existing monitoring network to find an optimal configuration of a smaller network. We use a criterion based on locally weighted regression with two different weight functions. The methodology is applied to the Dutch national SO2 network and offers the possibility to include different politically relevant options in the model by weight criteria. Because full enumeration of all monitoring networks is impossible, a combinatorial search algorithm is applied to find a (sub)optimal solution. If different (optimal) monitoring networks result from different criteria, then the best can be selected.