Discussion of: Ke, Xiankun; Collins, M.B., and Poulos, S.E., 1994. Velocity Structure and Sea Bed Roughness Associated with Intertidal (Sand and Mud) Flats and Saltmarshes of the Wash, U.K. Journal of Coastal Research, 10(3), 702-715.

Abstract

In the recent paper by KE et al. (1994) on intertidal-zone bed roughness, linear regression is misused in the analysis of vertical velocity profiles. Several papers have dealt with the misuse of regression in the earth sciences (e.g., MARK and CHURCH, 1977; WADSWORTH, 1984; MANN, 1987; TROUTMAN and WILLIAMS, 1987), and at least two articles have explicitly addressed the implications of 'backward' regression to the analysis of velocity profiles (BAUER et al., 1992; BERGERON and ABRAHAMS, 1992). 'Backward' (or inverse) regression refers to a procedure where the independent variable is treated as a dependent variable, and the variable ordering is reversed in the calculation of regression statistics. KE et al. (1994: KCP henceforth) mis-designate velocity as the independent, rather than dependent, variable for their velocity profile analysis. It is from this basis that our discussion is offered.