Empirical Relationships for Debris Flows

The assessment of the debris flow hazard potential has to rely on semi-quantitative methods. Due to the complexity of the debris-flow process, numerical simulation models of debris flows are still limited with regard to practical applications. Thus, an overview is given of empirical relationships that can be used to estimate the most important parameters of debris-flow behavior. In a possible procedure, an assessment of a maximum debris-flow volume may be followed by estimates of the peak discharge, the mean flow velocity, the total travel distance, and the runout distance on the fan. The applicability of several empirical equations is compared with available field and laboratory data, and scaling considerations are used to discuss the variability of the parameters over a large range of values. Some recommendations are made with regard to the application of the presented relationships by practicing engineers, apart from advocating field reconnaissance and searching for historic events wherever possible.     

Development of a distributed hydrological model to facilitate watershed management

To facilitate precise and cost-effective watershed management, a simple yet spatially and temporally distributed hydrological model (DHM-WM) was developed. The DHM-WM is based on the Mishra-Singh version of the curve number method, with several modifications: The spatial distribution of soil moisture was considered in moisture updating; the travel time of surface runoff was calculated on a grid cell basis for routing; a simple tile flow module was included as an option. The DHM-WM was tested on a tile-drained agricultural watershed in Indiana, USA. The model with the tile flow module performed well in the study area, providing a balanced water budget and reasonable flow partitioning. The daily coefficient of determination and Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient were 0.58 and 0.56, for the calibration period, and 0.63 and 0.62 for the validation period. The DHM-WM also provides detailed information about the source areas of flow components, the travel time and pathways of surface runoff.

EDITOR A. Castellarin; ASSOCIATE EDITOR F.-J. Chang     

甘肃地区一维速度模型计算研究

采用2009年1月1日—2014年6月甘肃省境内所有地震的震相数据,分类拟合计算该地区一维速度模型,计算结果显示,利用少量震级较大地震数据来拟合的速度结果近似于用所有地震拟合结果。拟合得出新模型初步结果后,再从所有地震资料中选定台站包围好、震相标识规范的142个地震,利用Hyposat定位方法来计算莫霍面深度,参考其他模型的莫霍面深度,综合分析后在一定的扰动范围内通过Hyposat批处理程序进行迭代定位,对8 640次计算模型做残差对比,最终选取残差最小模型作为新模型,此模型除部分参数有较小的差别外与甘青模型基本一致。     

场地类别分类方案研究

基于性能的抗震设计,要求工程师设计出具有预期抗震性能的结构,一个关键因素是地震作用的确定,这在很大程度上取决于局部场地条件。通过收集和分析北京、苏州和唐山城区956个钻孔资料,建立地表20 m和30 m深土层走时平均剪切波速VS20和VS30的关系式;现场钻探获取北京城区深105 m的典型钻孔原状土样,试验给出各类土体动剪切模量和阻尼比曲线;建立北京城区170个钻孔的场地反应计算模型,采用Nakamura提出的HVSR法和陈国兴等提出的弱震法估算场地基本周期TS值,结合国内外现行抗震规范的场地分类及一些学者对场地分类的研究成果,提出两种新的场地分类建议方案：基于等效剪切波速VSE和覆盖土层厚度H（地表至剪切波速VS ≥ 500 m/s的基岩深度）的双指标场地分类方案及基于VSE、H和TS的三指标场地分类方案。提出的场地分类方案对我国现行抗震规范场地分类方法的改进有参考价值。     

Application of open tools and datasets to probabilistic modeling of road traffic disruptions due to earthquake damage

The disruption of a transportation network can have a high social and economic impact on the welfare of a society, as it can significantly affect the daily routines of a community. Although many studies have focused on the estimation of physical risk in the components that compose these networks, only a limited number have analyzed their interconnections and impact in the traffic flow. The present study analyzes how earthquake damage can disrupt the road network in an urban environment, and how this will influence the ability of the population to travel. Traffic due to daily commutes is modeled for different layouts of the network, corresponding to possible disruptions caused by earthquake damage. The duration and length of each trip were calculated both for the undamaged network conditions and for the disrupted network. The increase in the median duration and length of each trip allows estimating the economic loss for each event due to drivers' delay. By combining the probability of a specific road being blocked with its number of users, the average number of affected vehicles was estimated, and the most critical segments identified. The methodology was applied to a case study concerning the road network of the area around the Italian city of Messina in Sicily. The results were calculated for both a repetition of the well-known historical event of 1908 and a set of simulated earthquakes consistent with the national probabilistic seismic hazard model of Italy.     

VARIATION OF THE TRAVEL TIME DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TELESEISMIC PS CONVERTED WAVE AND PP TRANSMITTED WAVE IN FOCAL REGION BEFORE AND AFTER WENCHUAN MS8.0 EARTHQUAKE

When P waves from distant earthquakes meet a velocity discontinuity in the earth's crust and upper mantle, they give rise to a series of converted PS waves besides PP refracted waves. It is possible to monitor the variation of the physical properties of the medium in the limited formation space above the transition zone of the seismogenic zone by measuring the time difference between the teleseismic PS converted wave and the first arrival P wave, that is, time-variation Δt_PS=t_PS-t_P. The advantage of this method is that the transition point of the teleseismic source with similar source is relatively stable at the transition interface, and the accuracy of the measured relative time is high, and the change of the medium in a small range of the seismogenic zone above the conversion interface can be monitored. This paper studies the variation of the travel time difference Δt_PS in focal region before and after Wenchuan M_S8.0 earthquake. We select 2001 to 2012 as the research period, use teleseismic waveforms which occurred in the southern region of Sumatra and Hindu Kush area recorded by Sichuan station YZP and JJS. These teleseisms satisfy 5.0 ≤ M ≤ 6.5, and their waveform signal-to-noise ratio is high with clear initial P-wave motion. The epicentral distance of teleseisms is less than 3 degrees. Then we obtain the variation of the travel time difference Δt_PS between teleseismic PS converted wave and PP transmitted wave recorded during the study period in the two stations. The results show that there is a slow increasing trend of Δt_PS before 2006, and an obvious low value process of Δt_PS appeared in the period about 2 years before the Wenchuan earthquake. The maximum decline was about 0.2~0.3s, more than 4~5 times the measurement error. The low value has a certain degree of return about 2~3 months before the earthquake. The change of arrival time difference indicates that the medium is in different states in different periods of seismogenic process. The sharp decrease in Δt_PS from 2006 to January 2008 may be due to the strong disturbance caused by the stress accumulation of the medium. At this stage, the velocity of P wave and S wave increases with the increase of stress, and the increase of S wave velocity will result in the decrease of Δt_PS. The change of Δt_PS is greatly affected by S wave velocity, so Δt_PS appears to decrease rapidly. Regarding the low value that has a certain degree of return about 2~3 months before the Wenchuan earthquake, the possible reason is that the release of stress is much higher than the accumulation of stress in meta-instability stage. At this stage, the velocity of S wave decreases and the decrease of S wave causes Δt_PS to increase. Then, the Wenchuan earthquake of magnitude 8.0 occurred. It is shown that the teleseismic converted wave method in this paper can monitor the variation of medium's wave velocity before large earthquakes, and it has a good prospect in seismic monitoring and worth further experimental study.     

Business case for mussel aquaculture in offshore wind farms in the North Sea

The European Blue Growth strategy aims to expand the new maritime sectors of aquaculture, energy, biotechnology, coastal tourism and mineral mining. Growth of these sectors will increases pressure on the seas, particularly on those areas that are densely used by traditional sectors such as fisheries and transport. This has triggered interest in developing multiuse of space and multiuse platforms at sea. This paper assesses the feasibility of offshore mussel production project in wind farms by design and ex-ante evaluation of a mussel aquaculture system in the North Sea. A system for mussel cultivation in the Dutch Borssele offshore wind farm was designed, producing both mussel seed and consumption-sized mussels with semi-submerged longlines. Based on the economic model and the risk assessment, this paper concludes that mussel aquaculture is an appealing commercial model for increased returns in offshore wind farms. The economic models shows that the internal rate of return and net present value are positive and based on the sensitivity analysis, it can be concluded that these results are robust.     

广州市社区出行低碳指数格局及其影响因素的空间异质性

通过构建社区出行低碳指数（CTLCI）模型,对广州市社区出行低碳指数的空间格局及其差异特征进行了分析,并利用全局回归（OLS）模型和地理加权回归（GWR）模型对社区出行低碳指数的影响因素以及其间关系的空间异质性进行了研究。结果表明,广州市社区出行低碳指数由中心城区向外逐渐递增,呈明显的圈层结构。内圈层的社区出行低碳指数内部差异最小,中间过渡圈层的最大。社区人口密度对社区出行低碳指数的影响以正向作用为主,公共交通供给水平和路网密集程度对社区出行低碳指数的影响以负向作用为主,且它们的影响作用具有空间异质性。具体指出了在不同地域空间内社区人口密度、公共交通供给水平和路网密集程度对社区出行低碳指数在影响程度和作用方向上的差异,为减少广州城市交通碳排放、针对不同空间制定有效的低碳政策和构建低碳城市空间结构提供了科学依据。     

南京市城市老年人出行行为的影响因素

老年人在人口比例和绝对数量上的快速增长将对整个社会产生一系列影响,其中交通出行是非常重要的一个方面。本文基于2012年南京居民出行调查数据,发现相对于年轻人,老年人的日出行次数增加,但日出行时间和日出行距离都减少,说明老年人单次出行距离较短,且主要围绕“家”形成圆形的活动空间;从出行方式构成来看,老年人以步行和公交车为主,出行目的以娱乐、休闲和购物为主。运用次序Logit及线性回归模型,在确定老年人及其家庭的基本社会经济属性之后,发现城市建成环境对老年人的出行有显著影响。其中,城市人口密度会显著增加老年人的日出行次数,但其日出行距离反而有所减少;居住在原单位小区的老人日出行次数比居住于商品房的老人多,且出行距离也较短;说明混合用地以及紧凑的发展模式有利于促进老年人的出行。距离交通基础设施越近,老年人的出行越活跃。大型购物中心对老年人的购物出行没有显著影响,老年人更倾向于在街头小店购买物品。而小区周边体育馆、博物馆等设施对老年人的吸引力则不如棋牌室和公园广场。研究结果对老年人健康生活和科学合理布局城市设施具有一定的指导意义。