Topographic effects observed at Amatrice hill during the 2016-2017 Central Italy seismic sequence

The estimate of seismic site effects by experimental approaches is based on different assumptions aimed at simplifying the complex actual site conditions and related uncertainties.However,the reliability of the results can increase if the experimental data is focused on quite strong seismic sequences and the on-site acquisition of a large number of signals is deemed strategic for the assessment of the expected phenomena.Based on these considerations,the ground motion at the Red Zone sector of Amatrice hill,violently struck by the 2016-2017 Central Italy seismic sequence,was analyzed via an observational approach.A large set of weak motions(moment magnitude Mw 2.5-3.9)was analyzed in this study by means of standard(SSR)and horizontal to vertical(HVSR)spectral ratio techniques.The results from the experimental analysis of the site effects by using weak motion and noise signals show a significant amplification at the top of Amatrice hill with a remarkable polarization of the motion and changes in spectral shapes according to the topographic setting of the relief.

Review on the study of topographic effect on seismic ground motion

Topographic effect study is a very important research topic in seismology, seismic engineering,earthquake engineering, engineering earthquake construction and engineering seismology. This paper focuses on its present development status. Post-earthquake investigation has found that the existence of topography caused more serious earthquake damage. The actual seismographs also recorded the topographic amplification effect of 6 to 7 times and even more than 10 times. Numerical simulation is an important technique to study topographic effect, which complements the lack of observed records. However researches on 3-D topographic effect are not enough and need to be studied deeper. To find the main influence factors and the quantitative relationship between topography and ground motion are required very urgently. Obviously the achievements not only can be applied in the earthquake resistant design, but also can provide the quantitative pre-earthquake disaster prediction and quantitative post-earthquake disaster evaluation.

Topographic effects on seismic response of long-span rigid-frame bridge under SV seismic wave

Seismic ground motions of two neighboring mountains and the free surface between them are calculated under the SV seismic waves with three different incident angles. The results are then taken as the inputs of multi-point seismic excitations for the foundation of a long-span bridge built over the valley in the analysis considering the integrated influence of traveling wave and topography. On the basis of a dynamic analytical method, a finite element model is created for the seismic responses of a four-span rigid-frame bridge of 440 m. The pier-top displacement and the pier-bottom internal force of the bridge are calculated. Then the results are compared with those considering traveling-wave effect only. The conclusions can serve as a seismic design reference for the structures located on the complex mountain topography.

A Quantitative Seismic Topographic Effect Prediction Method Based upon BP Neural Network Algorithm and FEM Simulation

Topography can strongly affect ground motion,and studies of the quantification of hill surfaces’topographic effect are relatively rare.In this paper,a new quantitative seismic topographic effect prediction method based upon the BP neural network algorithm and three-dimensional finite element method(FEM)was developed.The FEM simulation results were compared with seismic records and the results show that the PGA and response spectra have a tendency to increase with increasing elevation,but the correlation between PGA amplification factors and slope is not obvious for low hills.New BP neural network models were established for the prediction of amplification factors of PGA and response spectra.Two kinds of input variables’combinations which are convenient to achieve are proposed in this paper for the prediction of amplification factors of PGA and response spectra,respectively.The absolute values of prediction errors can be mostly within 0.1 for PGA amplification factors,and they can be mostly within 0.2 for response spectra’s amplification factors.One input variables’combination can achieve better prediction performance while the other one has better expandability of the predictive region.Particularly,the BP models only employ one hidden layer with about a hundred nodes,which makes it efficient for training.

PRELIMINARY NUMERICAL STUDY OF TOPOGRAPHIC EFFECTS OF THE TIBETAN PLATEAU ON SURFACE DIRECT RADIATION

To improve the simulating ability of a model,this paper presents a scheme of calculating direct radiation at land surface with topography in the model.A numerical study is conducted for the topographic effects of the Tibetan Plateau on the direct radiation using NCEP terrain data. Results show that,after taking account into the topographic radiation effect,the regional average of the radiation over the Plateau obviously increases in the local early morning and late afternoon, but changes less around noon.The effect is stronger in winter than that in summer.And heterogeneous topography has also affected the distribution of the radiation in this area.A simple numerical experiment shows that considering the effect will lead ground temperature to increase on the slope having more sunshine,and vice versa.

The Effect of Topographic Forcing on the Formation and Maintenance of Blocking

A barotropic channel model in β-plane is used to study the effect of topographic forcing on the formation and maintenance of blocking. The approximate analytical solution of potential vorticity equation can show the main property of the whole process of blocking. It is indicated that the topographic forcing is one of the main factors causing the blocking process. The results suggest that the nonlinear interaction plays a very important role in the stable 'Ω' situation of blocking. The atmospheric circulation with periodic and low-frequency oscillation, perhaps, is partly caused by topographic forcing.

Seismic hazard prediction using multispectral amplification maps in a complex topographic area: A case study of Qiaozhuang town, Sichuan Province, Southwest China

Earthquakes can cause widely distributed slope failures and damage in mountainous areas.The accurate prediction of ground motions in mountainous areas is essential for managing the seismic risk of urban cities near mountains but is restricted primarily by complex seismic site amplification effects in areas of uneven terrain.This study selected Qiaozhuang town located in the Qingchuan–Pingwu fault zone,Southwest China,as a case study.A simulator for mapped seismic responses using a hybrid model(Si Se RHMap)was applied to compute the multispectral seismic topographic amplification maps at the three slope units surrounding Qiaozhuang town(Weigan hill,Mt.Dong,and Mt.Shizi).Post-earthquake damage survey maps,1 D seismic site response spectral ratios,and H/V spectral ratios of earthquake data were used to validate the computed seismic site amplification factors and resonance frequencies.The results suggest that strong topographic amplification effects usually occur at distinct slope locations,such as hilltops,convex slope positions,upslope,and narrow ridges.The computed topographic amplification factors in the study area reached up to 2.4 at upslope or hilltops,and the resonance frequencies were between 3 and 10 Hz.Topographic effects can be as important as stratigraphic effects when assessing seismic amplification effects in the study area.We conclude that both topographic and stratigraphic effects should be considered in the comprehensive seismic hazard assessment of the study area or other similar mountain towns.

Local topography-induced pressure gradient effects on the wake and power output of a model wind turbine

Wind-tunnel experiments were performed to study the effect of favorable and adverse constant pressure gradients(PG)from local changes in the topography right downwind of a model wind turbine.Particle image velocimetry was used to characterize the near and intermediate wake regions.We explored five scenarios,two favorable,two adverse PG,and a case with negligible PG.Results show that the PGs induce a wake deflection and modulate the wake.They imposed a relatively small impact on the turbulence kinetic energy and kinematic shear stress but a comparatively dominant effect on the bulk flow on the flow recovery.Based on this,a simple formulation is used to describe the impact of PG on the wake.We modeled the base flow through a linearized perturbation method;the wake is obtained by solving a simplified,integrated streamwise momentum equation.This approach reasonably estimated the flow profile and PG-induced power output variations.

Impacts of topographic factors on regional snow cover characteristics

At a local scale,snow cover is influenced by terrain properties,and it affects water availability across some arid and semiarid regions.This study aimed to quantify the spatial heterogeneity of snow cover due to topographic effects based on moderate-resolution image spectroradiometer(MODIS)daily snow cover products,processed with spatial and backward temporal filters.A snow-dominant region in the middle section of the northern Tianshan Mountains in China was selected,and the snow cover ratio(SCR)and the number of snow cover days(SCD)were investigated.The results suggest that MODIS images are biased toward underestimation of the snow cover in the study region,and the error is primarily manifested within the elevation band of 1500e2500 m.The snow cover is mainly affected by elevation,and snow mostly accumulates above 3800 m.In addition,the differences in SCR and SCD between the south-and north-facing slopes are more significant than those between the east-and west-facing slopes.Notably,the north-facing slopes have the maximum values of SCR and SCD,whereas the south-facing slopes have the minimum values of SCR and SCD.Furthermore,the impact of slope gradients on snow cover varies across seasons.Snow cover on a sloped surface decreases with the slope gradient during winter,while it tends to increase with the slope gradient during the other seasons.Overall,this study presents a useful perspective on the variance in regional snow cover and provides guidance for the water resources management of snow meltwater with different terrain features.

Retrieval of high spatial resolution mountainous land surface temperature considering topographic and adjacency effects

Land surface temperature(LST) is a key parameter reflecting the interaction between land and atmosphere. Currently,thermal infrared(TIR) quantitative remote sensing technology is the only means to obtain large-scale, high spatial resolution LST. Accurately retrieving high spatial resolution mountainous LST(MLST) plays an important role in the study of mountain climate change. The complex terrain and strong spatial heterogeneity in mountainous areas change the geometric relationship between the surface and satellite sensors, affecting the radiation received by the sensors, and rendering the assumption of planar parallelism invalid. In this study, considering the influence of complex terrain in mountainous areas on atmospheric downward radiation and the thermal radiation contribution of adjacent pixels, a mountainous TIR radiative transfer model based on the sky view factor was developed. Combining with the atmospheric radiative transfer model MODTRAN 5.2, a nonlinear generalized split-window algorithm suitable for high spatial resolution MLST retrieval was constructed and applied to Landsat-9 TIRS-2satellite TIR remote sensing data. The analysis results indicate that neglecting the topographic and adjacency effects would lead to significant discrepancies in LST retrieval, with simulated data showing LST differences of up to 2.5 K. Furthermore, due to the lack of measured MLST in the field, the MLST accuracy obtained by this retrieval method was indirectly validated using the currently recognized highest-accuracy forward 3D radiative transfer model DART. The MLST and emissivity were input into the DART model to simulate the brightness temperature at the top of the atmosphere(TOA) of Landsat-9 band 10, and compared with the brightness temperature at TOA of Landsat-9 band 10. The RMSE(Root Mean Square Error) for the two subregions was0.50 and 0.61 K, respectively, indicating that the method proposed can retrieve high-precision MLST.

Scattering of SH waves induced by a symmetrical V-shaped canyon: a unified analytical solution

This paper reports a series solution of wave functions for two-dimensional scattering and diffraction of plane SH waves induced by a symmetrical V-shaped canyon with different shape ratios. A half-space with a symmetrical V-shaped canyon is divided into two sub-regions by using a circular-arc auxiliary boundary. The two sub-regions are represented by global and local cylindrical coordinate systems, respectively. In each coordinate system, the wave field satisfying the Helmholtz equation is represented by the separation of variables method, in terms of the series of both Bessel functions and Hankel functions with unknown complex coefficients. Then, the two wave fields are described in the local coordinate system using the Graf addition theorem. Finally, the unknown coefficients are sought by satisfying the continuity conditions of the auxiliary boundary. To consider the phase characteristics of the wave scattering, a parametric analysis is carried out in the time domain by assuming an incident signal of the Ricker type. Surface and subsurface transient responses demonstrate the characteristics and mechanisms of wave propagating and scattering.

Preliminary results of strong ground motion simulation for the Lushan earthquake of 20 April 2013,China

The earthquake occurred in Lushan County on 20 April, 2013 caused heavy casualty and economic loss. In order to understand how the seismic energy propagates during this earthquake and how it causes the seismic haz- ard, we simulated the strong ground motions from a rep- resentative kinematic source model by Zhang et al. （Chin J Geophys 56（4）：1408-1411, 2013） for this earthquake. To include the topographic effects, we used the curved grids finite difference method by Zhang and Chen （Geophys J Int 167（1）：337-353, 2006）, Zhang et al. （Geophys J Int 190（1）：358-378, 2012） to implement the simulations. Our results indicated that the majority of seismic energy con- centrated in the epicentral area and the vicinal Sichuan Basin, causing the XI and VII degree intensity. Due to the strong topographic effects of the mountain, the seismic intensity in the border area across the northeastern of Boxing County to the Lushan County also reached IX degree. Moreover, the strong influence of topography caused the amplifications of ground shaking at the moun- tain ridge, which is easy to cause landslides. These results are quite similar to those observed in the Wenchuan earthquake of 2008 occurred also in a strong topographic mountain area.

The Impact of the Eastward Shifting of Dipole Systems over Large-Scale Terrain on Tropical Cyclone Tracks

With a quasi-geostrophic barotropic model on the β-plane with a topography term, 16 experiments were performed with an integration period of 6 days. The interaction between tropical cyclone tracks and 500 km-scale vortices originating from the western part of a large-scale topography is investigated. It is suggested that this kind of interaction may have a significant impact on the moving speed and direction of tropical cyclones. Under certain conditions, this interaction may be a factor in causing an abnormal tropical cyclone track. Furthermore, the effect of large-scale topography plays an important role in the formation of unusual tropical cyclone tracks.

Nonlinear numerical assessment of the seismic response of hillside RC buildings

Major damage has been reported in hilly areas after major earthquakes,primarily because of two special conditions:the variation in the seismic ground motion due to the inclined ground surface and the irregularities caused by a stepped base level in the structure.The aim of this study is to evaluate possible differences in the responses of Chilean hillside buildings through numerical linear-elastic and nonlinear analyses.In the first step,a set of response-spectrum analyses were performed on four simplified 2D structures with mean base inclination angles of 0°,15°,30°,and 45°.The structures were designed to comply with Chilean seismic codes and standards,and the primary response parameters were compared.To assess the seismic performance of the buildings,nonlinear static(pushover)and dynamic(time-history)analyses were performed with SeismoStruct software.Pushover analyses were used to compare the nonlinear response at the maximum roof displacement and the damage patterns.Time-history analyses were performed to assess the nonlinear dynamic response of the structures subjected to seismic ground motions modified by topographic effects.To consider the topographic modification,acceleration records were obtained from numerical models of soil,which were calculated using the rock acceleration record of the Mw 8.01985 Chilean earthquake.Minor differences in the structure responses(roof displacements and maximum element forces and moments)were caused by the topographic effects in the seismic input motion,with the highly predominant ones being the differences caused by the step-back configuration at the base of the structures.High concentrations of shear forces in short walls were observed,corresponding to the walls located in the upper zone of the foundation system.The response of the structures with higher angles was observed to be more prone to fragile failures due to the accumulation of shear forces.Even though hillside buildings gain stiffness in the lower stories,resulting in lower design roof displacement,maximum roof displacements for nonlinear time-history analyses remained very close for all the models that were primarily affected by the drifts of the lower stories.Additionally,vertical parasitic accelerations were considered for half the time-history analyses performed here.The vertical component seems to considerably modify the axial load levels in the shear walls on all stories.

A NEW MODELLING METHOD FOR EVALUATING EXTERNAL DISTURBING POTENTIAL BASED ON THEORY OF UNIFIED REPRESENTATION OF GRAVITATIONAL FIELD

For a special use a new modelling method of evaluating external disturbing potential is presented in this paper.Being different from classical methods in physical geodesy this method is grounded upon the theory of unified representation of gravitational field.The models created in this way are particularly satisfactory for a high_speed computation of gravitational field in low altitude because they take account of topographic effects and have their kernel functions with simple structure and weak singularity.

A Preliminary Analysis of the Relationship between Precipitation Variation Trends and Altitude in China

Characteristics of the relationship between precipitation variation trends (PVT) and altitude were analyzed using monthly mean precipitation data from 526 observation stations in China from 1961 to 2008.With respect to elevation,China was divided into three subregions,below 200 m,200-1500 m,and above 1500 m.The results showed that the correlations between annual PVT and altitude are different among the three regions.In the region below 200 m in elevation,the best relationship has a correlation coefficient of-0.19 (0.49),passing the 90% (99.9%) significance level south (north) of 35 N.However,the correlation coefficient is close to zero,and the latitude strongly governs the spatial distribution of the amplitude of annual PVT in the 200-1500-m elevation region.In most of the Tibetan Plateau,where the elevation is greater than 1500 m,there is a weak negative correlation.The Mann-Kendall method was used to test the trend of regional mean annual precipitation,which indicated that the annual mean precipitation had no obvious trend of change in China due to the reverse significant variation trends in different areas of the country.

Mapping the Wind Hazard of Global Tropical Cyclones with Parametric Wind Field Models by Considering the Effects of Local Factors

Tropical cyclones(TCs) cause catastrophic loss in many coastal areas of the world. TC wind hazard maps can play an important role in disaster management. A good representation of local factors reflecting the effects of spatially heterogeneous terrain and land cover is critical to evaluation of TC wind hazard. Very few studies, however,provide global wind hazard assessment results that consider detailed local effects. In this study, the wind fields of historical TCs were simulated with parametric models in which the planetary boundary layer models explicitly integrate local effects at 1 km resolution. The topographic effects for eight wind directions were quantified over four types of terrain(ground, escarpment, ridge, and valley),and the surface roughness lengths were estimated from a global land cover map. The missing TC parameters in the best track datasets were reconstructed with local regression models. Finally, an example of a wind hazard map in the form of wind speeds under a 100-year return period and corresponding uncertainties was created based on a statistical analysis of reconstructed historical wind fields over seven of the world's ocean basins.

Innovative Analysis Ready Data(ARD)product and process requirements,software system design,algorithms and implementation at the midstream as necessary-but-notsuffcient precondition of the downstream in a new notion of Space Economy 4.0-Part 1:Problem background in Artificial General Intelligence(AGI)

Aiming at the convergence between Earth observation(EO)Big Data and Artificial General Intelligence(AGI),this two-part paper identifies an innovative,but realistic EO optical sensory imagederived semantics-enriched Analysis Ready Data(ARD)productpair and process gold standard as linchpin for success of a new notion of Space Economy 4.0.To be implemented in operational mode at the space segment and/or midstream segment by both public and private EO big data providers,it is regarded as necessarybut-not-sufficient“horizontal”(enabling)precondition for:(I)Transforming existing EO big raster-based data cubes at the midstream segment,typically affected by the so-called data-rich information-poor syndrome,into a new generation of semanticsenabled EO big raster-based numerical data and vector-based categorical(symbolic,semi-symbolic or subsymbolic)information cube management systems,eligible for semantic content-based image retrieval and semantics-enabled information/knowledge discovery.(II)Boosting the downstream segment in the development of an ever-increasing ensemble of“vertical”(deep and narrow,user-specific and domain-dependent)value–adding information products and services,suitable for a potentially huge worldwide market of institutional and private end-users of space technology.For the sake of readability,this paper consists of two parts.In the present Part 1,first,background notions in the remote sensing metascience domain are critically revised for harmonization across the multidisciplinary domain of cognitive science.In short,keyword“information”is disambiguated into the two complementary notions of quantitative/unequivocal information-as-thing and qualitative/equivocal/inherently ill-posed information-as-data-interpretation.Moreover,buzzword“artificial intelligence”is disambiguated into the two better-constrained notions of Artificial Narrow Intelligence as part-without-inheritance-of AGI.Second,based on a betterdefined and better-understood vocabulary of multidisciplinary terms,existing EO optical sensory image-derived Level 2/ARD products and processes are investigated at the Marr five levels of understanding of an information processing system.To overcome their drawbacks,an innovative,but realistic EO optical sensory image-derived semantics-enriched ARD product-pair and process gold standard is proposed in the subsequent Part 2.

Innovative Analysis Ready Data(ARD)product and process requirements,software system design,algorithms and implementation at the midstream as necessary-but-notsufficient precondition of the downstream in a new notion of Space Economy 4.0-Part 2:Software developments

Aiming at the convergence between Earth observation(EO)Big Data and Artificial General Intelligence(AGI),this paper consists of two parts.In the previous Part 1,existing EO optical sensory imagederived Level 2/Analysis Ready Data(ARD)products and processes are critically compared,to overcome their lack of harmonization/standardization/interoperability and suitability in a new notion of Space Economy 4.0.In the present Part 2,original contributions comprise,at the Marr five levels of system understanding:(1)an innovative,but realistic EO optical sensory image-derived semantics-enriched ARD co-product pair requirements specification.First,in the pursuit of third-level semantic/ontological interoperability,a novel ARD symbolic(categorical and semantic)co-product,known as Scene Classification Map(SCM),adopts an augmented Cloud versus Not-Cloud taxonomy,whose Not-Cloud class legend complies with the standard fully-nested Land Cover Classification System’s Dichotomous Phase taxonomy proposed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.Second,a novel ARD subsymbolic numerical co-product,specifically,a panchromatic or multispectral EO image whose dimensionless digital numbers are radiometrically calibrated into a physical unit of radiometric measure,ranging from top-of-atmosphere reflectance to surface reflectance and surface albedo values,in a five-stage radiometric correction sequence.(2)An original ARD process requirements specification.(3)An innovative ARD processing system design(architecture),where stepwise SCM generation and stepwise SCM-conditional EO optical image radiometric correction are alternated in sequence.(4)An original modular hierarchical hybrid(combined deductive and inductive)computer vision subsystem design,provided with feedback loops,where software solutions at the Marr two shallowest levels of system understanding,specifically,algorithm and implementation,are selected from the scientific literature,to benefit from their technology readiness level as proof of feasibility,required in addition to proven suitability.To be implemented in operational mode at the space segment and/or midstream segment by both public and private EO big data providers,the proposed EO optical sensory image-derived semantics-enriched ARD product-pair and process reference standard is highlighted as linchpin for success of a new notion of Space Economy 4.0.