fingerPro - A Comprehensive Package for Sediment Source Unmixing

"This package quantifies the provenance of sediments in a catchment or study area by applying a mixing model algorithm to end sediment mixtures based on a comprehensive characterization of the sediment sources. The fingerPro model builds upon the foundational concept of using mass balance linear equations for sediment source quantification by incorporating several distinct technical advancements. It employs an optimization approach to normalize discrepancies in tracer ranges and minimize the objective function. Latin hypercube sampling is used to explore all possible combinations of source contributions (0-100%), mitigating the risk of local minima. Uncertainty in source estimates is quantified through a Monte Carlo routine, and the model includes additional metrics, such as the normalized error of the virtual mixture, to detect mathematical inconsistencies, non-physical solutions, and biases. A new linear variability propagation (LVP) method is also included to address and quantify potential bias in model outcomes, particularly when dealing with dominant or non-contributing sources and high source variability, offering a significant advancement for field studies where direct comparison with theoretical apportionments is not feasible. The package includes several graphs to help users with data understanding, such as box plots, correlation, PCA, and LDA graphs. Furthermore, new methods such as Consensus Ranking (CR) and Consistent Tracer Selection (CTS) are included to correctly apply the fingerprinting technique and increase dataset and model understanding. A new Conservative Balance (CB) method has also been incorporated to enable the use of isotopic tracers."