The Pedagogical Benefits of SimCity in Urban Geography Education

This article investigated the pedagogical potential of the SimCity simulation game in an urban geography course. University students used SimCity to build their own cities and applied a wide range of theories to support their urban structures. Moreover, the students critically evaluated the logic and functioning of the SimCity simulation compared to real-world contexts and urban geography principles. The students believed the SimCity activity provided them with opportunities to promote their geographic creativity, resulting in diverse, unique, and interesting cities. The findings demonstrate that the use of SimCity can be an effective tool for geography education.     

A heuristic cellular automata approach for modelling urban land-use change based on simulated annealing

This article presents a novel cellular automata (CA) approach to simulate the spatio-temporal process of urban land-use change based on the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm. The SA algorithm enables dynamic optimisation of the CA's transition rules that would otherwise be difficult to configure using conventional mathematical methods. In this heuristic approach, an objective function is constructed based on a theoretical accumulative disagreement between the simulated land-use pattern and the actual land-use pattern derived from remotely sensed imagery. The function value that measures the mismatch between the actual and the simulated land-use patterns would be minimised randomly through the SA process. Hence, a set of attribution parameters that can be used in the CA model is achieved. An SA optimisation tool was developed using Matlab and incorporated into the cellular simulation in GIS to form an integrated SACA model. An application of the SACA model to simulate the spatio-temporal process of land-use change in Jinshan District of Shanghai Municipality, PR China, from 1992 to 2008 shows that this modelling approach is efficient and robust and can be used to reconstruct historical urban land-use patterns to assist with urban planning policy-making and actions. Comparison of the SACA model with a typical CA model based on a logistic regression method without the SA optimisation (also known as LogCA) shows that the SACA model generates better simulation results than the LogCA model, and the improvement of the SACA over the LogCA model is largely attributed to higher locational accuracy, a feature desirable in most spatially explicit simulations of geographical processes.     

中国环境经济地理的研究主题展望

全球环境变化与技术经济范式变革对“经济-环境”关系产生深刻影响,但资源环境议题自20世纪80年代以来逐渐淡出全球经济地理研究的视野。2000年以来,环境经济地理逐渐兴起并对此进行反思,但其发展仍处于混沌状态。中国经济地理学科自身的人地关系传统和国家发展的探索与实践,为环境经济地理理论与实践创造了理想条件。环境经济地理并非全新的领域,其可从经济地理理论出发拓展对“经济-环境”关系的认识,据此提出3组研究主题：① 重新认识经济活动的区位,理解变化中的资源环境如何作用于传统与新兴经济活动;② 建立对不同地理尺度下要素流动和主体互动的认知,理解资源环境风险如何在各类关系网络中传递,又将如何重塑各类关系网络;③ 考察多主体在多区域之间、多层级制度背景下的相互作用,理解绿色创新与转型的过程,实现对“经济-环境”关系在不同发展场景下协同演化的认识。     

A plasticity constitutive model for unsaturated,anisotropic, nonexpansive soils

The paper describes and evaluates an incremental plasticity constitutive model for unsaturated, anisotropic, nonexpansive soils (CMUA). It is based on the modified Cam-Clay (MCC) model for saturated soils and enhances it by introducing anisotropy (via rotation of the MCC yield surface) and an unsaturated compressibility framework describing a double dependence of compressibility on suction and on the degree of saturation of macroporosity. As the anisotropic and unsaturated features can be activated independently, the model is downwards compatible with the MCC model. The CMUA model can simulate effectively: the dependence of compressibility on the level of developed anisotropy, uniqueness of critical state independent of the initial anisotropy, an evolving compressibility during constant suction compression, and a maximum of collapse. The model uses Bishop's average skeleton stress as its first constitutive variable, favouring its numerical implementation in commercial numerical analysis codes (eg, finite element codes) and a unified treatment of saturated and unsaturated material states.     

南海东北部洋陆过渡区域地震折射波衰减特征

地震波衰减研究是了解岩石圈构造特征的有效方法.本文基于OBS2016-2测线的海底地震仪(OBS)数据, 首次对南海东北部洋陆过渡区域地震波衰减特征进行研究, 通过正演模拟获得该区域二维纵波衰减(Q_P)结构.结果表明, 下陆坡的上地壳存在一个宽约40 km, 厚度约为4~5 km的高衰减区, 其特征为低纵波和横波速度(V_P为5.5~6.3 km·s^-1和V_S为3.1~3.6 km·s^-1)以及较低的波速比(V_P/V_S为1.72~1.80), 对应较低的Q_P(280~410), 推测与断裂发育有关, 且受到火山活动的影响.洋陆过渡及洋壳区域的上地壳高衰减区具有低Q_P(300~400)和高V_P/V_S(1.90~1.96)特征, 可能对应较多的断裂发育及流体运移.洋陆过渡区域下地壳高速异常体表现为相对低的Q_P(550~600), 对应较高的V_P(7.0~7.8 km·s^-1)和V_S(3.5~3.8 km·s^-1)以及较高的V_P/V_S(1.85~1.96), 推测与蛇纹石化作用有关.蛇纹石化可能进一步增加岩石的孔隙度并导致更多的流体运移, 使得洋陆过渡及洋壳区域存在较高的地震波衰减.Q_P结构有助于我们分析南海大陆边缘的地震波衰减特征, 结合V_P、V_S以及V_P/V_S, 可以更好地了解该区域地质结构和岩石属性, 对进一步挖掘OBS数据信息有重要参考价值.

     

基于统一强度理论的地基临界荷载公式

基于统一强度理论,按照临界荷载公式的推导方法,得到地基临界荷载的统一解公式。Mohr-Coulomb强度理论计算的结果为其特例。把计算结果与《建筑地基基础设计规范》中的结果进行了对比分析,认为当不同程度地考虑中间主应力σ2的影响时,可以有效地发挥地基的强度潜能。并通过实例计算了统一强度理论参数b取不同值时地基承载力特征值,并进行了对比分析。     

The continent-ocean transition at the southeastern margin of the South China Sea

The South China Sea formed by magma-poor, or intermediate volcanic rifting in the Paleogene. We investigate the structure of the continent-ocean transition (COT) at its southern margin, off NW Palawan between the continental blocks of Reed Bank and the islands of Palawan and Calamian. Several surveys, recorded by the BGR from 1979 to 2008, established a comprehensive database of regional seismic lines, accompanied with magnetic and gravity profiles.We interpret two major rifted basins, extending in the NE direction across the shelf and slope, separated by a structural high of non volcanic origin.The continent-ocean transition is interpreted at the seaward limit of the continental crust, when magnetic spreading anomalies terminate some 80-100 km farther north. The area in between displays extensive volcanism - as manifest by extrusions that occasionally reach and cut the seafloor, by dykes, and by presumed basaltic lava flows - occurring after break-up.The COT is highly variable along the NW Palawan slope: One type shows a distinct outer ridge at the COT with a steep modern seafloor relief. The other type is characterised by rotated fault blocks, bounded by listric normal faults ramping down to a common detachment surface. Half-grabens developed above a strongly eroded pre-rift basement. The seafloor relief is smooth across this other type of COT.We suggest the pre-rift lithospheric configuration had major influence on the formation of the COT, besides transfer zones. Volcanic domains, confined to the north of competent crustal blocks correlate with the style of the COT.Gravity modelling revealed an extremely thinned crust across the shelf. We propose a depth-dependent extension model with crust being decoupled from mantle lithosphere, explaining the discrepancy of subsidence observed across the South China Sea region.     

Semi-Probabilistic Evaluation of System Redundancy for Existing Offshore Structures

In this paper, a new definition of structure system redundancy is proposed in view of the various measures for structure redundancy. By introducing the terms of structure system failure at the mechanism level and equivalent reliability index, the safety for existing offshore platforms can be evaluated by the semi-probabilistic method presented in this paper. Some numerical examples are given and satisfactory results have been obtained.     

Incipient Motion of Sediment Under Currents

Summarized in the paper are the author's studies on incipient motion of sediment in recent 40years.In addition to the forces of gravity,drag and lift,the cohesive force and the additional static pres-sure are important for fine particles.The relations between three stages of incipient motion are defined byuse of instantaneous velocity.Formulas for initial velocity and critical shear stress are given and overallverified by the author's and others'experimental data.