Neural network-based model for assessing failure potential of highway slopes in the Alishan, Taiwan Area: Pre- and post-earthquake investigation

This paper is aimed at creating an empirical model for assessing failure potential of highway slopes, with a special attention to the failure characteristics of the highway slopes in the Alishan, Taiwan area prior to, and post, the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan earthquake. The basis of the study is a large database of 955 slope records from four highways in the Alishan area. Artificial neural network (ANN) is utilized to “learn” from this database. The developed ANN model is then used to study the effect of the Chi-Chi earthquake on the slope failure characteristics in the Alishan area. Significant changes in the degrees of influence of several factors (variables) are found and possible reasons for such changes are discussed. The novelty of this paper lies in the fact that the developed ANN models are used as a tool to investigate the slope failure characteristics before and after the Chi-Chi earthquake.     

Mapping and assessing crop diversity in the irrigated Fergana Valley,Uzbekistan

Crop diversity (e.g. the number of agricultural crop types and the level of evenness in area distribution) in the agricultural systems of arid Central Asia has recently been increased mainly to achieve food security of the rural population, however, not throughout the irrigation system. Site-specific factors that promote or hamper crop diversification after the dissolvent of the Soviet Union have hardly been assessed yet. While tapping the potential of remote sensing, the objective was to map and explain spatial patterns of current crop diversity by the example of the irrigated agricultural landscapes of the Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan. Multi-temporal Landsat and RapidEye satellite data formed the basis for creating annual and multi-annual crop maps for 2010–2012 while using supervised classifications. Applying the Simpson index of diversity (SID) to circular buffers with radii of 1.5 and 5 km elucidated the spatial distribution of crop diversity at both the local and landscape spatial scales. A variable importance analysis, rooted in the conditional forest algorithm, investigated potential environmental and socio-economic drivers of the spatial patterns of crop diversity. Overall accuracy of the annual crop maps ranged from 0.84 to 0.86 whilst the SID varied between 0.1 and 0.85. The findings confirmed the existence of areas under monocultures as well as of crop diverse patches. Higher crop diversity occurred in the more distal parts of the irrigation system and sparsely settled areas, especially due to orchards. In contrast, in water-secure and densely settled areas, cotton-wheat rotations dominated due to the state interventions in crop cultivation. Distances to irrigation infrastructure, settlements and the road network influenced crop diversity the most. Spatial explicit information on crop diversity per se has the potential to support policymaking and spatial planning towards crop diversification. Driver analysis as exemplified at the study region in Uzbekistan can help reaching the declared policy to increase crop diversity throughout the country and even beyond.     

The statistics of particle velocities and accelerations under waves with directional spread

The statistics of the horizontal component of the water particle velocity vector under random waves are considered. A spread in the directions of travel of the component wave trains does not affect the rms value of the modulus r but it affects the shape of its probability distribution in such a way that the pr3bability of extreme values is reduced. For small and moderate directional spreads the modulus for a given probability of exceedance is reduced by a factor which tends to F_s as the probability of exceedance tends to zero, where F_s is the spread factor (which is typically 0.9 in temperate storms). However, the convergence on this asymptote is not complete for probabilities of engineering importance, particularly for wide directional spreads. The standard deviation of the probability distribution of the direction of the vector is reduced roughly in inverse proportion to r. The same conclusions apply to particle accelerations.     

Significant load and green water on deck of offshore units/vessels

In this paper the probability of green water occurrence is investigated by taking into account the threshold of the vertical relative motion exceeding the freeboard. The number of wetting of the unit/vessel is predicted using probabilistic method. This paper compares the significant load, due to shipping of green water with the works of other researchers, and the loads are found to be close with the results presented in this paper. There is no direct relation between the velocities in the waves and the water velocity over the deck. The water velocities around the bow are heavily distributed by the presence of the bow. This scenario makes the flow very complex for schematic modelling.     

从234Th的固/液分配看海洋胶体的作用

1994—1995年期间,利用β计数法实测了南沙群岛海域、南海东北部海域、厦门湾塔角附近海域和九龙江河口区共计116份海水样品中溶解态与颗粒态234Th的放射性比活度。结果表明,颗粒态234Th占总34Th的份额大小顺序为：九龙江河口区＞厦门海塔角附近海域＞南沙海域。南海东北部海域。234Th的条件分配系数Kd介于1．1×104—20×106dm3／kg之间,平均为2．2×105dm3／kdKd与总悬浮颗粒物含量（7SAN呈负相关关系：lg（Kd）＝－0．59·lg（TSM）＋5．67,这一“颗粒物浓度效应”可归因于海洋胶体物质的存在。由上述关系获得4个研究海区胶体浓度与悬浮颗粒物浓度的函数关系：Cc＝f（TSM0．59）。     

条件区域云概率分布模型

本文在引入区域相关场和正态化转换技术的基础之上,通过MonteCarlo模拟建立了条件区域概率分布模型,较好地解决了单点概率和区域分布概率之间的关系,并通过大量计算,得到了条件区域概率分布模型的拟合函数,从而使区域范围内的概率天气预报成为可能。特别是为战时气象信息封锁条件下,进行区域范围内的概率天气预报提供了新的思路。     

TRP与Logit概率预报模式计算比较分析

本文分别利用TRP模式及Logit模式与MOS相结合的方法,对南京市的能见度及云量进行了24小时概率预报试验。通过对两种模式的比较分析,结果表明：Logit模式的拟合率比TRP模式的高,而在实际预报中,TRP模式的预报准确率高。同时,TRP模式的计算更为方便灵活。     

大连地区地震活动性分析及地震概率背景估计

根据统计计算大连地区１９９１年１１月至 １９９９年１月发生的２９９个ＭL≥２．０地震,得出目前该地区的地震活动规律,并对这期间的地震变化趋势进行了理论分析和概率背景估计,认为其间所发生的地震属于１９９３年３月１８日的大连满家滩南海ＭＬ４．３地震序列,从理论值和实测值的结果判断,该地震序列发生 ＭＬ≥５．０的可能性不大, 但不能排除该地震序列仍然存在着发生４．０≤ＭＬ＜５．０地震的概率背景．目前的地震平静期属于该地震序列活动期的尾声和下一地震活动期能量积累的初级阶段．     

Application of advanced system identification technique to extract roll damping from model tests in order to accurately predict roll motions

In this paper our previously developed advanced system identification technique [1] has been applied to extract the frequency dependent roll damping from a series of model tests run in irregular (random) waves. It is shown that this methodology accurately models the roll damping which can then be used to produce accurate predictions of the ships roll motion. These roll motion predictions are not only more accurate than the potential flow predictions but more accurate than potential flow models corrected using either empirical prediction methods [2] and even those corrected using roll damping obtained from free decay sallying experiments. This methodology has the potential to significantly improve roll motion prediction during full scale at sea trails of vessels in order to dramatically improve safety of critical operations such as helicopter landing or ship to ship cargo transfer.     

Distribution of eddy scales for wave current combined flow

This paper illustrates the modulation of the eddy scale distribution due to superimposition of surface wave on only current flow. Time series data of three-dimensional velocity components were measured in a laboratory flume by a three-dimensional (3D) 16-MHz micro-acoustic Doppler velocimeter (Micro-ADV). The velocity time series of only current case and waves following the current were analysed to obtain the phase-averaged mean velocities, turbulent intensities, and Reynolds stress. The probability density function of phase-averaged stream-wise and vertical velocity fluctuations showed bimodal oscillations towards the free surface for higher frequency surface waves. It was revealed that surface waves along the current effectively decrease the intermittency of turbulence of the only current flow. Surface wave changed the intermittent structure of only current flow by modulation of the energy cascade mechanism of the only current flow by introduction of wave induced length scales. Also the scale of the finer dissipative eddies were prominently enhanced by the increase in surface wave frequency. Wavelet analysis of time series of velocity signals provided information on the eddy scale and their frequency of occurrence. It was found that the large eddies are carried by the crest regions of the progressive wave while the small scale eddies are carried by the trough regions.