Landslide susceptibility analysis using GIS and artificial neural network

The purpose of this study is to develop landslide susceptibility analysis techniques using an arti?cial neural network and to apply the newly developed techniques to the study area of Yongin in Korea. Landslide locations were identi?ed in the study area from interpretation of aerial photographs, ?eld survey data, and a spatial database of the topography, soil type and timber cover. The landslide‐related factors (slope, curvature, soil texture, soil drainage, soil effective thickness, timber age, and timber diameter) were extracted from the spatial database. Using those factors, landslide susceptibility was analysed by arti?cial neural network methods. The landslide susceptibility index was calculated by the back‐propagation method, which is a type of arti?cial neural network method, and the susceptibility map was made with a geographic information system (GIS) program. The results of the landslide susceptibility analysis were veri?ed using landslide location data. The validation results showed satisfactory agreement between the susceptibility map and the existing data on landslide location. A GIS was used to ef?ciently analyse the vast amount of data, and an arti?cial neural network to be an effective tool to maintain precision and accuracy. The results can be used to reduce hazards associated with landslides and to plan land use and construction. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A procedure for evaluating seismic energy demand of framed structures

Energy serves as an alternative index to response quantities like force or displacement to include the duration‐related seismic damage effect. A procedure to evaluate the absorbed energy in a multistorey frame from energy spectra was developed. For low‐ to medium‐rise frames, it required a static pushover analysis of the structure to determine the modal yield force and ductility factor of an equivalent single‐degree‐of‐freedom system for the first two modes. The energy spectra were then used to determine the energy contribution of each mode. A procedure was also developed to distribute the energy along the frame height based on energy shapes. This study showed that the second‐mode response in some cases needs to be considered to reflect the energy (or damage) concentration in the upper floors. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

System identification of the Vincent Thomas suspension bridge using earthquake records

The Vincent Thomas Bridge in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, is a critical artery for commercial traffic flow in and out of the Los Angeles Harbor, and is at risk in the seismically active Southern California region, particularly because it straddles the Palos Verdes fault zone. A combination of linear and non‐linear system identification techniques is employed to obtain a complete reduced‐order, multi‐input–multi‐output (MIMO) dynamic model of the Vincent Thomas Bridge based on the dynamic response of the structure to the 1987 Whittier and 1994 Northridge earthquakes. Starting with the available acceleration measurements (which consists of 15 accelerometers on the bridge structure and 10 accelerometers at various locations on its base), an efficient least‐squares‐based time‐domain identification procedure is applied to the data set to develop a reduced‐order, equivalent linear, multi‐degree‐of‐freedom model. Although not the main focus of this study, the linear system identification method is also combined with a non‐parametric identification technique, to generate a reduced‐order non‐linear mathematical model suitable for use in subsequent studies to predict, with good fidelity, the total response of the bridge under arbitrary dynamic environments. Results of this study yield measurements of the equivalent linear modal properties (frequencies, mode shapes and non‐proportional damping) as well as quantitative measures of the extent and nature of non‐linear interaction forces arising from strong ground shaking. It is shown that, for the particular subset of observations used in the identification procedure, the apparent non‐linearities in the system restoring forces are quite significant, and they contribute substantially to the improved fidelity of the model. Also shown is the potential of the identification technique under discussion to detect slight changes in the structure's influence coefficients, which may be indicators of damage and degradation in the structure being monitored. Difficulties associated with accurately estimating damping for lightly damped long‐span structures from their earthquake response are discussed. The technical issues raised in this paper indicate the need for added spatial resolution in sensor instrumentation to obtain identified mathematical models of structural systems with the broadest range of validity. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

松潘-甘孜造山带地壳速度结构

位于川西地区的奔子栏——唐克深地震测深剖面以NNE走向穿越松潘——甘孜造山带．根据人工地震记录分析得到的震相走时和相关的振幅信息，确定了该剖面二维P波地壳速度结构．剖面的地壳结构可分为5层，其中第1，2，3层为上地壳；第4，5层为下地壳．上地壳中部普遍存在低速异常带，但龙日坝以北，这一低速带与其上覆的低速基底合为一体．同时，沿剖面的地壳速度结构具有较强的横向变化．据此，可将剖面分为4段，即甘孜——理塘断裂以南、甘孜——理塘断裂至鲜水河断裂、鲜水河断裂至龙日坝断裂和龙日坝断裂以北. 这与区域构造划分基本一致． 地壳厚度沿测线从南西向北东逐渐减薄，即从金沙江畔的62 km减小到黄河附近的52 km． 根据PmP震相分析，莫霍界面深度在鲜水河断裂两侧没有明显变化．全剖面的地壳平均速度较低，为6.30 km/s．奔子栏——唐克剖面揭示了该地区的造山带型地壳上地幔结构特征．鲜水河断裂带位于剖面的中部，该地区的上地壳速度为正异常，而下地壳和上地幔顶部存在负异常．笔者认为，这是一类有利于强震孕育和发生的深部构造环境．      

Seismic moment tensor representations and radiation patterns in unbounded media with elipsoidal cavities driven by low frequency pressure

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Paleoclimatological and paleoenvironmental records since 4 000 a B. P. in sediments of alpine lakes in Taiwan

The 3 310-m-high Chia-min Lake records the climatic history since 4 ka B. P. in Taiwan. The warm/wet period before 2.2 ka B.P. seemed to correspond to the later part of the Holocene Megathermal, and the cold/dry period during 0–2.2 ka B. P. corresponded to the Katathermal. Before the termination of the Megathermal, an especially warm and humid segment (2.2–2.4 ka B. P.) emerged. The paleoclimatic records from Yuen-yang and Chi-tsai Lakes support the notion that the Megathermal in Taiwan terminated during 2—2.3 ka B. P. A warm segment (820–1 320 AD) in the Katathermal could be considered the Medieval Warm Period. The climate turned cold and dry after 1 320 AD and this indicated the onset of the Little Ice Age. These paleoclimatic variations are also in good agreement with those recorded in Great Ghost Lake.     

Crustal structure of Dabieshan orogenic belt

The crustal structures ofP velocity and density on the deep seismic sounding profile across the Ilabieshan orogenic belt are presented. There is a 5-km-thick crustal “root” between the Yuexi and Xiaotian where the elevation is highest on the profile. An apparent Moho offset of 4. 5 km beneath the Xiaotian-Mozitan fault marks the paleo-suture of the Triassic collision. A high-velocity anomaly zone at the depth below 3 km beneath the ultra-high pressure (UHP) zone may be correlated to the higher content of UHP metamorphic rocks. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Joint Earthquake Science Foundation.     

Pedogenic factors affecting magnetic susceptibility of the last interglacial palaeosol S1 in the Chinese Loess Plateau

The magnetic susceptibility has been used as a quantitative or semi‐quantitative proxy for reconstructing the summer monsoon intensity in the Chinese Loess Plateau based on extensive studies on climatic or/and environmental mechanisms producing the magnetic susceptibility signatures. However, the precise nature of the link between past climates and the susceptibility signatures has remained uncertain primarily due to lack of our understanding in the ?nalizing and preserving processes of the signatures. This paper attempts to examine the reliability or acceptability of this summer monsoon proxy from non‐magnetic perspectives of soil‐forming processes. We chose nine sections along two transects: one across the western part of the Chinese Loess Plateau and another across the eastern part. Several conclusions can be drawn from our analytical data. First, clay translocation within the S1 palaeosol pro?les, as indicated by ?eld‐observed clay coatings on ped faces in Bt and Bk horizons and demonstrated by laboratory‐analysed clay contents, must have moved some of the magnetic minerals downward so that the susceptibility re?ects only the post‐translocation distribution of the magnetic‐susceptibility‐producing minerals. Second, the best‐developed palaeosol S1S3 at most of the sections studied is not expressed by the magnetic susceptibility because this palaeosol developed in underlying coarse loess (L2) and coarse textures tend to lower the susceptibility. Third, carbonate concentration is normally negatively correlated with the magnetic susceptibility or simply suppresses the magnetic susceptibility peak when the susceptibility enhancement exceeds the carbonate dilution effect. To conclude, extreme caution must be observed when using magnetic susceptibility signatures to retrieve high‐resolution records of the last interglacial palaeoclimate in the Chinese Loess Plateau. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimal design of viscoelastic dampers using eigenvalue assignment

In this study a procedure for determining the optimum size and location of viscoelastic dampers is proposed using the eigenvalue assignment technique. Natural frequencies and modal damping ratios, required to realize a given target response, are determined first by the convex model. Then the desired dynamic structural properties are realized by optimally distributing the damping and stiffness coefficients of viscoelastic dampers using non‐linear programming based on the gradient of eigenvalues. This optimization method provides information on the optimal location as well as the magnitude of the damper parameters. The proposed procedure is applied to the retrofit of a 10‐story shear frame, and to a three‐dimensional structure with an asymmetric plan. The analysis results confirm that the responses of model structures retrofitted by the proposed method correspond well with the given target response. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.