The effect of amplitude scaling limits on conditional spectrum-based ground motion selection

Amplitude scaling is commonly used to select ground motions matching a target response spectrum. In this paper, the effect of scaling limits on ground motion selection, based on the conditional spectrum framework, is investigated. Target spectra are computed for four probabilistic seismic hazard cases in Western United States, and 16 ground motion suites are selected using different scaling limits (ie, 2, 5, 10, and 15). Comparison of spectral acceleration distributions of the selected ground motion suites demonstrates that the use of a scaling limit of 2 yields a relatively poor representation of the target spectra, because of the small limit leading to an insufficient number of available ground motions. It is also shown that increasing scaling limit results in selected ground motions with generally increased distributions of Arias intensity and significant duration Ds_5-75, implying that scaling limit consideration can significantly influence the cumulative and duration characteristics of selected ground motions. The ground motion suites selected are then used as input for slope displacement and structural dynamic analyses. Comparative results demonstrate that the consideration of scaling limits in ground motion selection has a notable influence on the distribution of the engineering demand parameters calculated (ie, slope displacement and interstory drift ratio). Finally, based on extensive analyses, a scaling limit range of 3 to 5 is recommended for general use when selecting ground motion records from the NGA-West2 database.     

A coastal three-dimensional water quality model of nitrogen in Jiaozhou Bay linking field experiments with modelling

With anthropogenic changes, the structure and quantity of nitrogen nutrients have changed in coastal ocean, which has dramatically influenced the water quality. Water quality modeling can contribute to the necessary scientific grounding of coastal management. In this paper, some of the dynamic functions and parameters of nitrogen were calibrated based on coastal field experiments covering the dynamic nitrogen processes in Jiaozhou Bay (JZB), including phytoplankton growth, respiration, and mortality; particulate nitrogen degradation; and dissolved organic nitrogen remineralization. The results of the field experiments and box model simulations showed good agreement (RSD = 20% ± 2% and SI = 0.77 ± 0.04). A three-dimensional water quality model of nitrogen (3DWQMN) in JZB was improved and the dynamic parameters were updated according to field experiments. The 3DWQMN was validated based on observed data from 2012 to 2013, with good agreement (RSD = 27 ± 4%, SI = 0.68 ± 0.06, and K = 0.48 ± 0.04), which testifies to the model's credibility.     

STUDY ON THE MRF-BASED METHOD FOR DAMAGED BUILDINGS EXTRACTION FROM THE SINGLE-PHASE SEISMIC IMAGE

Earthquake events are one of the most extraordinarily serious natural calamities, which not only cause heavy casualties and economic losses, but also various secondary disasters. Such events are devastating, and have far-reaching influences. As the main disaster bearing body in earthquake, buildings are often seriously damaged, thus it can be used as an important reference for earthquake damage assessment. Identifying damaged buildings from post-earthquake images quickly and accurately is of real importance, which has guidance meaning to rescue and emergency response. At present, the assessment of earthquake damage is mainly through artificial field investigation, which is time-consuming and cannot meet the urgent requirements of rapid emergency response. Markov Random Field(MRF)combines the neighborhood system of pixels with the prior distribution model to effectively describe the dependence between spatial pixels and pixels, so as to obtain more accurate segmentation results. The support vector machine(SVM)model is a simple and clear mathematical model which has a solid theoretical basis; in addition, it also has unique advantages in solving small sample, nonlinear and high-dimensional pattern recognition problems. Thus, in this paper, a Markov random field-based method for damaged buildings extraction from the single-phase seismic image is proposed. The framework of the proposed method has three components. Firstly, Markov Random Field was used to segment the image; then, the spectral and texture features of the post-earthquake damaged building area are extracted. After that, Support Vector Machine was used to extract the damaged buildings according to the extracted features. In order to evaluate the proposed method, 5 areas in ADS40 earthquake remote sensing image were selected as experimental data, this image covers parts of Wenchuan City, Sichuan Province, where an earthquake had struck in 2008. And in order to verify the applicability of this method to different resolution images, an experimental area was selected from different resolution images obtained by the same equipment. The experimental results show that the proposed method has good performance and could effectively identify the damaged buildings after the earthquake. The average overall accuracy of the selected experimental areas is 93.02%. Compared with the result extracted by the widely used eCognition software, the proposed method is simpler in operation and can improve the extraction accuracy and running time significantly. Therefore, it has significant meaning for both emergency rescue work and accurate disaster information providing after earthquake.     

Mainshock-consistent ground motion record selection for aftershock sequences

In recent years, the additional risk posed to the built environment due to aftershock sequences and triggered events has been brought to attention, and several efforts have been directed towards developing fragility functions for structures in damaged conditions. Despite this rise of interest, a rather fundamental component for such tasks, namely that of aftershock ground motion record selection, has remained under-scrutinized. Herein, we propose a pragmatic procedure that can be applied for the selection of mainshock-aftershock ground motion pairs using consistent causal parameters and accounting for the correlation between their spectral accelerations. In addition, a structural analysis strategy that can be employed for the analytical derivation of damage-dependent fragility functions is outlined and presented through a case study. A more conventional back-to-back IDA analysis is also carried out in order to compare the derived damage-dependent fragility functions with the ones obtained with the proposed procedure. The results indicate that record selection remains a crucial factor even when assessing the structural vulnerability of damaged buildings, and should thus be treated cautiously.     

Evolutionary creativity in landscapes

In biological evolution, creativity occurs in the appearance of new entities by evolutionary dynamics. This is linked to mutations and genetic drift, which cannot occur in geophysical phenomena. Biota can exhibit evolutionary creativity that influences landforms, but how does creativity (defined here as the capacity for emergence of new entities that increase the adjustedness of the landscape to environmental conditions) occur in landforms and landscapes as entities independent of biota? Creativity in geomorphic evolution does not require any sort of goal functions or purposeful innovation – just that geomorphic development is capable of producing novelties that may be better adapted (more efficient or durable) than predecessors. Independently of biota, evidence exists that landforms may develop to become more or less ‘fit' in terms of efficiency and/or durability. Thus, emergence of novel features may lead to their persistence. Emergence of novel forms is illustrated for the case of karst sinkholes (dolines), which indicates increasing geomorphic diversity over Ma and Ga timescales. A case study of fluviokarst chronosequences in Kentucky demonstrates emergence and elimination of landforms as landscapes evolve. Some of these may represent generally (as opposed to locally) novel landforms. While this article is more suggestive than demonstrative, results strongly suggest evolutionary creativity in geomorphology both tied to, and independent of, biological evolution. This occurs due to emergence of geomorphic entities that are subject to selection that tends to increase efficiency and durability. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biomorphological scaling laws from convectively accelerated streams

Worldwide convectively accelerated streams flowing in downstream-narrowing river sections show that riverbed vegetation growing on alluvial sediment bars gradually disappears, forming a front beyond which vegetation is absent. We revise a recently proposed analytical model able to predict the expected longitudinal position of the vegetation front. The model was developed considering the steady state approximation of 1-D ecomorphodynamics equations. While the model was tested against flume experiments, its extension and application to the field is not trivial as it requires the definition of proper scaling laws governing the observed phenomenon. In this work, we present a procedure to calculate vegetation parameters and flow magnitude governing the equilibrium at the reach scale between hydromorphological and biological components in rivers with converging boundaries. We collected from worldwide rivers data of section topography, hydrogeomorphological and riparian vegetation characteristics to perform a statistical analysis aimed to validate the proposed procedure. Results are presented in the form of scaling laws correlating biological parameters of growth and decay from different vegetation species to flood return period and duration, respectively. Such relationships demonstrate the existence of underlying selective processes determining the riparian vegetation both in terms of species and cover. We interpret the selection of vegetation species from ecomorphodynamic processes occurring in convectively accelerated streams as the orchestrated dynamic action of flow, sediment and vegetation characteristics. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

软弱破碎围岩双连拱隧道安全施工与监测

针对软弱破碎Ⅱ类围岩双连拱隧道采用三导洞施工方法的特点,阐述了其安全施工技术要点,实际施工中,就其监测内容及监测结果进行了实时分析,为隧道安全施工提供了依据,长期监控量测结果表明,该隧道结构是安全的,达到了围岩与支护结构体系安全与稳定的要求,所采用的安全施工措施以及信息化施工方法对类似工程具有指导和借鉴意义.     

中国出口导向型外资企业时空演化与出口增衰机制

利用2000-2013年中国海关贸易数据库出口数据研究分析中国出口导向型外资企业地理格局演变.研究发现,出口导向型外资企业在数量和出口贸易额呈现增长的趋势,出口产品以资本密集型、技术密集型产品为主,主要集中在京津冀、长三角、珠三角、山东半岛、辽中南地区,存在从沿海向中西部内陆地区、由核心城市向周边城市逐渐扩散的特征,外...     

地质调查中花岗岩类的野外观察记录探讨

在学习相关规范、规程的基础上,经过1∶5万漕涧幅地质调查实践,对花岗岩类岩石矿产地质调查的野外观察记录形成了一些初浅的认识与体会。其野外观察记录的要求和内容是对花岗岩的主要矿物与次要矿物进行野外鉴定、岩石结构与类型的初步划分、岩体侵入体的接触关系判断、包体类型及其特征等地质现象的描述和记录。认真做好花岗岩类岩石地质调查的野外观察记录,可较大幅度地提高花岗岩类区矿产地质调查质量。     

穿越东非大裂谷工程地质与线路比选分析——以内罗毕—马拉巴铁路为例

内罗毕-马拉巴铁路工程是东非"北方走廊"的重要组成部分,是非洲内陆国家发展经济的主干线。铁路线路工程穿越的东非大裂谷,地质复杂、火山地貌、断裂带和拉张裂缝等不良地质极为发育,而东非大裂谷铁路工程建设的研究资料十分匮乏。为了研究穿越东非大裂谷的铁路线路,本文首先介绍了东非大裂谷地形、地貌、裂谷的发育机理、区域断裂分布,然后以铁路沿线经济控制点为主轴,制定了穿越东非大裂谷铁路线路3大通道。分别对线路3大通道穿越的地形、地貌比选,穿越的地层、断裂和地裂缝比选,穿越地震、火山发育比选以及穿越的不良地质灾害比选,最后比选各线路通道的投资以及优、缺点,最终推荐南线通道方案。该线路方案得到肯尼亚政府的肯定和采纳。目前内马铁路正试运营,实践表明内马铁路裂谷段选线是较为成功的,可为同类工程提供借鉴。