Extending the MMMT Temporal Change Detection Tool to Assess Significant Shifts in Diverse Environmental Datasets

ABSTRACT This paper examines applications of the visual modified Mood's median test (MMMT) tool, which was originally developed for assessing temporal changes in streamflow regimes, to assess changes in a broader range of critically important environmental variables. The original MMMT tool is a Flow Duration Curve (FDC) based graphical tool that is integrated with a nonparametric statistical framework to assess the significance of changes to typical (median) streamflow across the entire range of streamflow magnitudes. We expand the tool's applicability to assess temporal variations in several important environmental variables, including streamflow intermittency, precipitation patterns, groundwater levels, air temperature, and water quality, in response to anthropogenic interventions or natural processes. The selected case studies are in locations with serious environmental concerns, with some involving mitigation efforts to improve environmental conditions. Our results show that the tool effectively detects shifts in environmental variables, aligns with findings from other studies, provides a more extensive assessment of environmental changes than methods focusing on only a few data conditions, and conveys this information in a clear and concise manner. The outcomes underscore the tool's robustness, generalizability, and potential as a valuable resource for future assessments of changes in environmental conditions over time.