Near-source attenuation of high-frequency body waves beneath the New Madrid Seismic Zone

Attenuation characteristics in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) are estimated from 157 local seismograph recordings out of 46 earthquakes of 2.6?≤?M?≤?4.1 with hypocentral distances up to 60 km and focal depths down to 25 km. Digital waveform seismograms were obtained from local earthquakes in the NMSZ recorded by the Center for Earthquake Research and Information (CERI) at the University of Memphis. Using the coda normalization method, we tried to determine Q values and geometrical spreading exponents at 13 center frequencies. The scatter of the data and trade-off between the geometrical spreading and the quality factor did not allow us to simultaneously derive both these parameters from inversion. Assuming 1/R ^1.0 as the geometrical spreading function in the NMSZ, the Q _P and Q _S estimates increase with increasing frequency from 354 and 426 at 4 Hz to 729 and 1091 at 24 Hz, respectively. Fitting a power law equation to the Q estimates, we found the attenuation models for the P waves and S waves in the frequency range of 4 to 24 Hz as Q _P?=?(115.80?±?1.36) f ^{(0.495?±?0.129)} and Q _S?=?(161.34?±?1.73) f ^{(0.613?±?0.067)}, respectively. We did not consider Q estimates from the coda normalization method for frequencies less than 4 Hz in the regression analysis since the decay of coda amplitude was not observed at most bandpass filtered seismograms for these frequencies. Q _S/Q _P?>?1, for 4?≤?f?≤?24 Hz as well as strong intrinsic attenuation, suggest that the crust beneath the NMSZ is partially fluid-saturated. Further, high scattering attenuation indicates the presence of a high level of small-scale heterogeneities inside the crust in this region.     

A procedure for damage-based seismic design of moment frame structures

Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering - A new method for seismic design of structures with the aim of controlling earthquake damage to a prescribed level is presented in this paper. The method is...     

A Multiple SVM System for Classification of Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Data

With recent technological advances in remote sensing sensors and systems, very high-dimensional hyperspectral data are available for a better discrimination among different complex land-cover classes. However, the large number of spectral bands, but limited availability of training samples creates the problem of Hughes phenomenon or ‘curse of dimensionality’ in hyperspectral data sets. Moreover, these high numbers of bands are usually highly correlated. Because of these complexities of hyperspectral data, traditional classification strategies have often limited performance in classification of hyperspectral imagery. Referring to the limitation of single classifier in these situations, Multiple Classifier Systems (MCS) may have better performance than single classifier. This paper presents a new method for classification of hyperspectral data based on a band clustering strategy through a multiple Support Vector Machine system. The proposed method uses the band grouping process based on a modified mutual information strategy to split data into few band groups. After the band grouping step, the proposed algorithm aims at benefiting from the capabilities of SVM as classification method. So, the proposed approach applies SVM on each band group that is produced in a previous step. Finally, Naive Bayes (NB) as a classifier fusion method combines decisions of SVM classifiers. Experimental results on two common hyperspectral data sets show that the proposed method improves the classification accuracy in comparison with the standard SVM on entire bands of data and feature selection methods.     

Prediction of climate change effects on the runoff regime of a forested catchment in northern Iran

ABSTRACT

The southern coast of the Caspian Sea in northern Iran is bordered by a mountain range with forested catchments which are susceptible to droughts and floods. This paper examines possible changes to runoff patterns from one of these catchments in response to climate change scenarios. The HEC-HMS rainfall–runoff model was used with downscaled future rainfall and temperature data from 13 global circulation models, and meteorological and hydrometrical data from the Casilian (or “Kassilian”) Catchment. Annual and seasonal predictions of runoff change for three future emissions scenarios were obtained, which suggest significantly higher spring rainfall with increased risk of flooding and significantly lower summer rainfall leading to a higher probability of drought. Flash floods arising from extreme rainfall may become more frequent, occurring at any time of year. These findings indicate a need for strategic planning of water resource management and mitigation measures for increasing flood hazards.

EDITOR M.C. Acreman ASSOCIATE EDITOR not assigned     

Chemical zoning of Ca-amphiboles in amphibolites,from the Hamedan area,West Iran

Amphibolite layers of the Hamedan area (Sanandaj-Sirjan zone, west Iran) contain amphibole crystals with strong optical zoning. These amphibolites occur as interlayers in middle Jurassic, Buchan-type andalusite-garnet-staurolite and sillimanite-garnet-andalusite schist of the area that were intruded by late Jurassic magmatic bodies of the Alvand plutonic complex. Electron microprobe analyses results show that the zoned amphiboles have ferrohornblende cores that change to ferroedenite toward the rims. The core-to rim increase of Al, Fe, Na, and K and decrease of Si and Mg along with edenitic substitution in amphiboles is consistent with increase in metamorphic grade. Thermobarometry calculations based on amphibole composition and hornblende-plagioclase thermometry provided 492 to 508 ^o C and 4.3 to 4.9 kbar for the inner cores, 495 to 514 ^o C and 4.5 to 5.1 kbar for the outer cores, 538 to 564 ^o C and 5.3 to 5.8 kbar for the inner rims and 552 to 573 ^o C and 5.5 to 5.9 kbar for the outer rims, respectively. These results point to a nearly isobaric prograde P-T path for the Hamedan area amphibolites, compatible with a metamorphic evolution dominated by the thermal perturbation associated with the late Jurassic magmatism of the northern Sanandaj-Sirjan zone.     

Forecasting Daily Seepage Discharge of an Earth Dam Using Wavelet–Mutual Information–Gaussian Process Regression Approaches

Because of their sensitive structure, earth dams might face failure due to seepage phenomenon. In order to prevent such failure, some equipment like piezometers are installed in the body or foundation of earth dams. This study investigated the importance of piezometer installation level in dam body or foundation using mutual information–wavelet–Gaussian process regression. 27 Piezometers in three section along with reservoir level were employed to predict one-step-ahead seepage discharge of Zonouz earth dam. The daily data of 1 year of piezometer level and reservoir level were collected for this purpose. In order to find the best possible input combination, three groups of modeling scenarios were defined using piezometers and reservoir level time series. As some input combinations had more than two variables, decomposed time series were imposed into mutual information (MI) tool in order to decrement input variables and find the most correlated input–output features. Afterward, mentioned features were imposed into optimized Gaussian process regression (GPR) to be predicted. Different kernels were selected as core tool of GPR, but results demonstrated the capability of radial basis function (RBF) kernel. GPR–RBF structure were optimized using cross-validation technique. Results indicated that input combination including piezometer level and reservoir level of section II, especially piezometer 203 time series led to the best result among all scenarios.     

Finite Element Modeling of Extensional Structures in the Annapurna Region of Central Himalayas

Two-dimensional, elastic, plane-strain, finite element model are generated to investigate the extensional structures mainly normal fault in the Annapurna region, central Himalaya. The numerical study was performed on the Miocene geologic profile considering both of the convergent displacement and rock layer properties in the regime. Results show that the normal fault primarily influenced by model geometry, rheology (layer properties) and boundary condition (applied convergence displacement). Simulated normal fault density exhibits very high intensity in Lesser Himalaya then in the Tethys Himalaya and low intensity in the Higher Himalaya, suggesting the vulnerability of fault development to low-grade metamorphic rock than the high-grade rocks. The location of normal fault predicted by the numerical model analysis is consistent to the position of normal fault segments by Kaneko (J Geol Soc Jpn 103(3):203–226, 1997). In this studies, it also believed that the presence of these normal faults and underthrusting of the sub-Himalayan sequence with associated tectonic forces, the Himalayan Metamorphic belt has been exhumed and differentially domal uplifted and then segmented into several blocks.     

Conversion factors for design spectral accelerations including soil–structure interaction

In this paper maximum response of a single degree of freedom system resting on a flexible base is determined under consistent earthquakes and the results are presented as acceleration spectra including soil–structure interaction (SSI). Flexibility of base is modeled using frequency-dependent springs and dampers. The spring–damper coefficients are calculated for the desired natural mode of vibration of a multi-degree-of-freedom system. Consistency of earthquakes is maintained considering their magnitude, distance, local soil type, and return period. The latter parameter is accounted for by the use of earthquake categories identified by their similar spectral values. Ratio of spectral acceleration modification factors with SSI from this study to those calculated using the ASCE 7-10 procedure are determined for each case. Examination of the resulting curves shows that the mentioned code is conservative/non-conservative in estimation of spectral responses with SSI in certain cases for the lower/higher modes of vibration. The code’s procedure is modified using the developed curves for a conversion factor.