Plenary Lecture

Using Robust Outlier Detection To Identify Possible Flood Events

Assoc. Professor Azami Zaharim
Coordinator for the Unit Fundamental Engineering Studies
Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor
MALAYSIA
E-mail: azami@vlsi.eng.ukm.my, azaminelli@gmail.com

Abstract: The least squares method has been widely used in time series forecasting and outlier detection. However, the method is not very efficient in identifying outliers because it suffers the masking effect. The aim of this study is to overcome the masking effect by implementing the robust least median squares method in outlier detection. To illustrate, we identified the possible outliers from sixty-one readings of the daily rainfall recorded at Kajang JPS telemetric station. The outliers are then categorized into innovational outlier and additive outlier. Results based on both techniques were compared and it is found that the least median squares method effectively unmasked the effect of outliers as compared to the least squares method.

 

Brief Biography of the Speaker:
Azami Zaharim worked first 13 years as a lecturer in the Universiti Teknologi MARA (University of MARA Technology - UiTM) before joining the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (National University of Malaysia - UKM) in the year 2003. He is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment UKM, and is currently Coordinator for the Unit Fundamental Engineering Studies. He obtained his BSc(Statistics and Computing) with Honours from North London University, UK in 1988 and PhD (Statistics) in 1996 from University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. He specialize in statistics, public opinion, engineering education and renewable energy resources.
He has until now published over 80 research papers in Journals and conferences, conducted more than 15 public opinion consultancies and delivered 3 keynotes/invited speeches at national and international meetings. He is currently the head of Renewable Energy Resources and Social Impact Research Group under the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI). In the year 2007, he headed the Engineering Mathematics Research Group. At the same time, he is currently active involve in outcome based education (OBE) approach at the national level and the chairman of the Engineering Education Research Group since 2005. He is also involved actively in the research for the future of engineering education in Malaysia 2006 under the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia.