Assessment of Various Fuzzy c-Mean Clustering Validation Indices for Mapping Mineral Prospectivity: Combination of Multifractal Geochemical Model and Mineralization Processes

This paper describes the application of an unsupervised clustering method, fuzzy c-means (FCM), to generate mineral prospectivity models for Cu?±?Au?±?Fe mineralization in the Feizabad District of NE Iran. Various evidence layers relevant to indicators or potential controls on mineralization, including geochemical data, geological–structural maps and remote sensing data, were used. The FCM clustering approach was employed to reduce the dimensions of nine key attribute vectors derived from different exploration criteria. Multifractal inverse distance weighting interpolation coupled with factor analysis was used to generate enhanced multi-element geochemical signatures of areas with Cu?±?Au?±?Fe mineralization. The GIS-based fuzzy membership function MSLarge was used to transform values of the different evidence layers, including geological–structural controls as well as alteration, into a [0–1] range. Four FCM-based validation indices, including Bezdek’s partition coefficient (V_Pc) and partition entropy (V_Pe) indices, the Fukuyama and Sugeno (V_FS) index and the Xie and Beni (V_XB) index, were employed to derive the optimum number of clusters and subsequently generate prospectivity maps. Normalized density indices were applied for quantitative evaluation of the classes of the FCM prospectivity maps. The quantitative evaluation of the results demonstrates that the higher favorability classes derived from V_FS and V_XB (N_d?=?9.19) appear more reliable than those derived from V_Pc and V_Pe (N_d?=?6.12) in detecting existing mineral deposits and defining new zones of potential Cu?±?Au?±?Fe mineralization in the study area.

     

Assessing and Modeling the Impacts of Wetland Land Cover Changes on Water Provision and Habitat Quality Ecosystem Services

Natural Resources Research - Understanding the spatial–temporal dynamics of wetland land cover (LC) changes and their impacts on ecosystem services (ESs) is essential for wetland conservation...     

A numerical modeling of hydrodynamic characteristics of various planing hull forms

A numerical algorithm based on the boundary element method (BEM) is presented for predicting the hydrodynamic characteristics of the various planing hull forms. The boundary integral equation is derived using Green's theorem on the wetted body surface and the free surface. The ventilation function at the transom is estimated with Doctor's empirical formula. This function is defined as the transom zone free surface boundary condition. The combined boundary integral equation and modified free surface boundary condition are simultaneously solved to determine the dipole on the wetted hull surface and the source on the free surface. The method is applied to investigate three examples of planing hulls, which include flat-plates, as well as wedge-shaped and variable deadrise planing hulls. Their hydrodynamic characteristics are calculated for different speeds. Computational results are presented and compared with existing theories and experiments. On the whole, the agreement between the present method and the selected experimental and numerical data is satisfactory.     

Intermittent Behaviour in Axisymmetric Mean-Field Dynamo Models in Spherical Shells

Axisymmetric mean-field dynamo models in spherical shells are shown to be capable of producing temporally intermittent behaviour. This is of potential importance since (i) it is, as far as we are aware, the first time such behaviour has been produced internally by a mean-field dynamo model in a spherical shell, without requiring any additional assumptions or truncations, and (ii) it may be characteristic of the type of behaviour observed in the long-term record of solar activity, such as Maunder minima. We also show that these types of behaviour persist when the functional form of the alpha quenching is altered and also occur over intervals of the shell thickness and the dynamo number.     

Rain gauge network evaluation and optimal design using spatial correlation approach in arid and semi-arid regions of Iran

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - The present study is aimed at evaluation of a rain gauge network in order to optimize a network design. In this regard, point rainfall estimations were...     

Analysis of Spatial Autocorrelation Patterns of Heavy and Super-Heavy Rainfall in Iran

Rainfall is a highly variable climatic element, and rainfall-related changes occur in spatial and temporal dimensions within a regional climate. The purpose of this study is to investigate the spatial autocorrelation changes of Iran's heavy and super-heavy rainfall over the past 40 years. For this purpose, the daily rainfall data of 664 meteorological stations between 1971 and 2011 are used. To analyze the changes in rainfall within a decade, geostatistical techniques like spatial autocorrelation analysis of hot spots, based on the Getis-Ord Gistatistic, are employed. Furthermore, programming features in MATLAB, Surfer, and GIS are used. The results indicate that the Caspian coast, the northwest and west of the western foothills of the Zagros Mountains of Iran, the inner regions of Iran, and southern parts of Southeast and Northeast Iran,have the highest likelihood of heavy and super-heavy rainfall. The spatial pattern of heavy rainfall shows that, despite its oscillation in different periods, the maximum positive spatial autocorrelation pattern of heavy rainfall includes areas of the west, northwest and west coast of the Caspian Sea. On the other hand, a negative spatial autocorrelation pattern of heavy rainfall is observed in central Iran and parts of the east, particularly in Zabul. Finally, it is found that patterns of super-heavy rainfall are similar to those of heavy rainfall.     

Robustness of truncated α Ω dynamos with a dynamic α

In a recent work (Covas et al., 1996), the behaviour and the robustness of truncated dynamos with a dynamic were studied with respect to a number of changes in the driving term of the dynamic equation, which was considered previously by Schmalz and Stix (1991) to be of the form AB. Here we review and extend our previous work and consider the effect of adding a quadratic quenching term of the form |B|². We find that, as before, such a change can have significant effects on the dynamics of the related truncated systems. We also find intervals of (negative) dynamo numbers, in the system considered by Schmalz and Stix (1991), for which there is sensitivity with respect to small changes in the dynamo number and the initial conditions, similar to what was found in our previous work. This latter behaviour may be of importance in producing the intermittent type of behaviour observed in the Sun.