Simulation of urban expansion via integrating artificial neural network with Markov chain – cellular automata

Accurate simulations and predictions of urban expansion are critical to manage urbanization and explicitly address the spatiotemporal trends and distributions of urban expansion. Cellular Automata integrated Markov Chain (CA-MC) is one of the most frequently used models for this purpose. However, the urban suitability index (USI) map produced from the conventional CA-MC is either affected by human bias or cannot accurately reflect the possible nonlinear relations between driving factors and urban expansion. To overcome these limitations, a machine learning model (Artificial Neural Network, ANN) was integrated with CA-MC instead of the commonly used Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Logistic Regression (LR) CA-MC models. The ANN was optimized to create the USI map and then integrated with CA-MC to spatially allocate urban expansion cells. The validated results of kappa and fuzzy kappa simulation indicate that ANN-CA-MC outperformed other variously coupled CA-MC modelling approaches. Based on the ANN-CA-MC model, the urban area in South Auckland is predicted to expand to 1340.55 ha in 2026 at the expense of non-urban areas, mostly grassland and open-bare land. Most of the future expansion will take place within the planned new urban growth zone.     

Hydrodynamic performance of a T-shaped floating breakwater

The comprehensive utilization of floating breakwaters, specially acting as a supporting structure for offshore marine renewable energy explorations, has received more and more attention recently. Based on linear water-wave theory, the hydrodynamic performance of a T-shaped floating breakwater is semi-analytically investigated through the matched eigenfunction expansion method (MEEM). Auxiliary functions, to speed up the convergence and improve the accuracy in the numerical computations, are introduced to represent the singular behavior of fluid field near the lower salient corners of the structure. The effects of the height and installation position of the vertical screen on the reflection and transmission coefficients, dynamic response and wave forces are examined. It is found that the presence of the screen shifts the resonance frequency of RAO for both surge and pitch modes to the low-frequency area, while has no effect on heave mode. The identical added masses, damping and transmission coefficients can be obtained in the cases where the screen holds the same distance away from the longitudinal central axis of the upper box-type structure. Moreover, a relatively small pitch response can be achieved in a wide wave–frequency range, when the breakwater is Γ-shaped.     

Bragg reflection of water waves by multiple floating horizontal flexible membranes with submerged rectangular bars on the seabed

Bragg reflection of water waves by multiple floating horizontal flexible membranes is investigated based on the linear wave theory and the assumption of small membrane response. Under the floating horizontal membranes, periodical submerged rectangular bars are arranged on the flat seabed. The total reflection and transmission coefficients are obtained by using the eigenfunction expansion method and the wide spacing approximation. The calculated coefficients are validated with the results available in the literature, which shows that the present method is applicable. The characteristics of Bragg reflection are systematically investigated by changing various parameters including the height of the rectangular bars, the number, the tension, the spacing, and the length of the flexible membranes. The results can help designing multiple floating horizontal flexible membranes as effective floating breakwaters by taking advantage of Bragg reflection.     

Urban three-dimensional expansion and its driving forces —A case study of Shanghai, China

Urban expansion is a phenomenon of urban space increase, and an important measuring index of the process of urbanization. Taking Shanghai as an example, the changes of urban average height and built-up area were studied to represent city’s vertical and horizontal increases respectively, and statistical methods were used to analyze the driving forces of urban expansion. The research drew following conclusions: 1) The urban expansion process of Shanghai from 1985 to 2006 had a clear periodic feature, and could be divided into three stages: vertical expansion in dominance, coordinated vertical and horizontal expansion, and horizontal expansion in dominance. 2) The average height and quantity of buildings in core city were significantly bigger than those in suburbs, but the changing speed of the latter was faster. And 3) urbanization process was the major driving force for the city’s horizontal expansion, while industrial structure improvement was the key driving factor for the vertical expansion. Those two driving forces were simultaneously affected by city’s political factors.     

Conventions on thermal expansion modelling of radio telescopes for geodetic and astrometric VLBI

Thermal expansion of radio telescopes has long been recognized as an effect which cannot be neglected in geodetic and astrometric VLBI data analysis if millimeter accuracy is desired. In this article, the author documents the conventions which are being set by the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS) for a consistent modelling of this effect in its routine product generation. For the largest telescopes, the annual cycle of thermal expansion may change the height of the VLBI reference point by as much as 20 mm. However, for telescopes which are used in present-day IVS operations, the variations rather range from 4 to 6 mm.     

Interaction of linear waves with an array of infinitely long horizontal circular cylinders in a two-layer fluid of infinite depth

The linear water wave scattering and radiation by an array of infinitely long horizontal circular cylinders in a two-layer fluid of infinite depth is investigated by use of the multipole expansion method. The diffracted and radiated potentials are expressed as a linear combination of infinite multipoles placed at the centre of each cylinder with unknown coefficients to be determined by the cylinder boundary conditions. Analytical expressions for wave forces, hydrodynamic coefficients, reflection and transmission coefficients and energies are derived. Comparisons are made between the present analytical results and those obtained by the boundary element method, and some examples are presented to illustrate the hydrodynamic behavior of multiple horizontal circular cylinders in a two-layer fluid. It is found that for two submerged circular cylinders the influence of the fluid density ratio on internal-mode wave forces is more appreciable than surface-mode wave forces, and the periodic oscillations of hydrodynamic results occur with the increase of the distance between two cylinders; for four submerged circular cylinders the influence of adding two cylinders on the wave forces of the former cylinders is small in low and high wave frequencies, but the influence is appreciable in intermediate wave frequencies.     

Hydrodynamic performance of a dual cylindrical caisson breakwater

The hydrodynamic performance of a dual cylindrical caisson breakwater (DCBW) formed by a row of caissons each of which consisting of a porous outer cylinder circumscribing an impermeable inner cylinder has been theoretically investigated. The theoretical formulation is based on the eigenfunction expansion method proposed by Spring and Monkmeyer (1974) which was further modified by Linton and Evans [Linton, C.M., Evans, D.V., 1990. The interaction of waves with arrays of vertical circular cylinders. Journal of Fluid Mechanics 215, 549–569] for an array of impermeable cylinders. The present formulation is an extension of the work of Wang and Ren [Wang, K.H., Ren, X., 1994. Wave interaction with a concentric porous cylinder system. Ocean Engineering 21(4), 343–360], wherein; the interaction of linear waves with a single concentric porous cylinder system was studied. In the present study, the formulation has been extended to the case of a group of porous dual cylinder system. Parametric studies are carried out to study the influence of porosity (G₀) on the outer caisson, width of the doughnut chamber (a/b) and the angle of wave incidence on the variation in the hydrodynamic loading, wave run-up, free-surface elevation in its vicinity as well as the transmission on its lee-side. The importance of the presence of the inner cylinder in achieving the required hydrodynamic performance in terms of either protection or providing tranquility on its lee side keeping higher stability for the breakwater system is highlighted.     

济南市建成区扩展的时空特征及驱动力分析

以山东省济南市为例,以1979—2005年5个不同时相的遥感图像为数据源,利用遥感信息提取技术,获取了城市扩展的空间信息。结合济南市社会经济统计数据,从扩展方向、重心转移等方面综合分析了济南市建成区扩展的时空特征,并从人口、经济、地理区位、政策导向等4个方面探讨了城市扩展的驱动力。结果表明,济南市城区扩展的整体趋势是东西向的带状扩张,向东扩张明显,城市重心向东北方向转移;1979年济南市城区面积是52．7km^2,2005年达到311．6km^2,是1979年的5．9倍。     

1932年以来北京主城区土地利用空间扩张特征与机制分析

基于历史地图、地形图和遥感影像提取1932年以来,北京主城区城市空间扩张,以及建筑密度空间信息。从城市土地利用扩张特征、建筑密度变化特征以及驱动机制三个方面分析北京城市土地利用扩张过程。研究表明:1984年前,北京城市呈现缓慢增长趋势。1984-1992年在市场经济驱动下,北京进入了第一次大规模快速的扩张阶段。1992-2000年间,由于我国出台了最为严格的耕地保护政策,这一时段城市空间扩张有所放缓。2000-2007年受北京城市建设规划、2008年奥运会场馆建设的影响,北京城市进入了有史以来,最快的扩张阶段。北京城市呈现单中心低密度蔓延,1982年前,城市扩张形态以相对较高的建筑密度紧凑扩张模式为主,1982年以来,呈现严重的低密度蔓延态势,特别是2000-2007年城市在5-6环之间"摊大饼"式与"遍地开花"式低密度蔓延问题更为突出。北京城市空间扩张是重大事件与人口、社会经济等因素共同驱动的结果。而且重大事件驱动对于长时间序列城市空间扩张作用更为突出。     

基于改进Markov-CA模型的黄土高原土地利用多情景模拟

土地利用/覆被的时空变化研究能为区域生态环境恢复和生态系统集成管理提供科学支持.集成Logistic回归模型、改进的Markov与FLUS模型模拟黄土高原2020-2050年3种典型情景土地利用变化.发现各情景土地利用面积变化及空间置换转移主要集中在农用地、草地和城镇用地;历史趋势延续情景下农用地减少15 205 km...