ARHCS (Automatic Rainfall Half-Life Cluster System): A Landslides Early Warning System (LEWS) Using Cluster Analysis and Automatic Threshold Definition

A significant portion of Landslide Early Warning Systems (LEWS) relies on the definition of operational thresholds and the monitoring of cumulative rainfall for alert issuance. These thresholds can be obtained in various ways, but most often they are based on previous landslide data. This approach introduces several limitations. For instance, there is a requirement for the location to have been previously monitored in some way to have this type of information recorded. Another significant limitation is the need for information regarding the location and timing of incidents. Despite the current ease of obtaining location information (GPS, drone images, etc.), the timing of the event remains challenging to ascertain for a considerable portion of landslide data. Concerning rainfall monitoring, there are multiple ways to consider it, for instance, examining accumulations over various intervals (1 h, 6 h, 24 h, 72 h), as well as in the calculation of effective rainfall, which represents the precipitation that actually infiltrates the soil. However, in the vast majority of cases, both the thresholds and the rain monitoring approach are defined manually and subjectively, relying on the operators’ experience. This makes the process labor-intensive and time-consuming, hindering the establishment of a truly standardized and rapidly scalable methodology on a large scale. In this work, we propose a Landslides Early Warning System (LEWS) based on the concept of rainfall half-life and the determination of thresholds using Cluster Analysis and data inversion. The system is designed to be applied in extensive monitoring networks, such as the one utilized by Cemaden, Brazil’s National Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters.

An air combat maneuver pattern extraction based on time series segmentation and clustering analysis

Target maneuver recognition is a prerequisite for air combat situation awareness,trajectory prediction,threat assessment and maneuver decision.To get rid of the dependence of the current target maneuver recognition method on empirical criteria and sample data,and automatically and adaptively complete the task of extracting the target maneuver pattern,in this paper,an air combat maneuver pattern extraction based on time series segmentation and clustering analysis is proposed by combining autoencoder,G-G clustering algorithm and the selective ensemble clustering analysis algorithm.Firstly,the autoencoder is used to extract key features of maneuvering trajectory to remove the impacts of redundant variables and reduce the data dimension;Then,taking the time information into account,the segmentation of Maneuver characteristic time series is realized with the improved FSTS-AEGG algorithm,and a large number of maneuver primitives are extracted;Finally,the maneuver primitives are grouped into some categories by using the selective ensemble multiple time series clustering algorithm,which can prove that each class represents a maneuver action.The maneuver pattern extraction method is applied to small scale air combat trajectory and can recognize and correctly partition at least 71.3%of maneuver actions,indicating that the method is effective and satisfies the requirements for engineering accuracy.In addition,this method can provide data support for various target maneuvering recognition methods proposed in the literature,greatly reduce the workload and improve the recognition accuracy.

Analysis of Electricity Consumption Pattern Clustering and Electricity Consumption Behavior

Studying user electricity consumption behavior is crucial for understanding their power usage patterns.However,the traditional clustering methods fail to identify emerging types of electricity consumption behavior.To address this issue,this paper introduces a statistical analysis of clusters and evaluates the set of indicators for power usage patterns.The fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm is then used to analyze 6 months of electricity consumption data in 2017 from energy storage equipment,agricultural drainage irrigation,port shore power,and electric vehicles.Finally,the proposed method is validated through experiments,where the Davies-Bouldin index and profile coefficient are calculated and compared.Experiments showed that the optimal number of clusters is 4.This study demonstrates the potential of using a fuzzy C-means clustering algorithmin identifying emerging types of electricity consumption behavior,which can help power system operators and policymakers to make informed decisions and improve energy efficiency.

Research on the IL-Bagging-DHKELM Short-Term Wind Power Prediction Algorithm Based on Error AP Clustering Analysis

With the continuous advancement of China’s“peak carbon dioxide emissions and Carbon Neutrality”process,the proportion of wind power is increasing.In the current research,aiming at the problem that the forecasting model is outdated due to the continuous updating of wind power data,a short-term wind power forecasting algorithm based on Incremental Learning-Bagging Deep Hybrid Kernel Extreme Learning Machine(IL-Bagging-DHKELM)error affinity propagation cluster analysis is proposed.The algorithm effectively combines deep hybrid kernel extreme learning machine(DHKELM)with incremental learning(IL).Firstly,an initial wind power prediction model is trained using the Bagging-DHKELM model.Secondly,Euclidean morphological distance affinity propagation AP clustering algorithm is used to cluster and analyze the prediction error of wind power obtained from the initial training model.Finally,the correlation between wind power prediction errors and Numerical Weather Prediction(NWP)data is introduced as incremental updates to the initial wind power prediction model.During the incremental learning process,multiple error performance indicators are used to measure the overall model performance,thereby enabling incremental updates of wind power models.Practical examples show the method proposed in this article reduces the root mean square error of the initial model by 1.9 percentage points,indicating that this method can be better adapted to the current scenario of the continuous increase in wind power penetration rate.The accuracy and precision of wind power generation prediction are effectively improved through the method.

Optical Fibre Communication Feature Analysis and Small Sample Fault Diagnosis Based on VMD-FE and Fuzzy Clustering

To solve the problems of a few optical fibre line fault samples and the inefficiency of manual communication optical fibre fault diagnosis,this paper proposes a communication optical fibre fault diagnosis model based on variational modal decomposition(VMD),fuzzy entropy(FE)and fuzzy clustering(FC).Firstly,based on the OTDR curve data collected in the field,VMD is used to extract the different modal components(IMF)of the original signal and calculate the fuzzy entropy(FE)values of different components to characterize the subtle differences between them.The fuzzy entropy of each curve is used as the feature vector,which in turn constructs the communication optical fibre feature vector matrix,and the fuzzy clustering algorithm is used to achieve fault diagnosis of faulty optical fibre.The VMD-FE combination can extract subtle differences in features,and the fuzzy clustering algorithm does not require sample training.The experimental results show that the model in this paper has high accuracy and is relevant to the maintenance of communication optical fibre when compared with existing feature extraction models and traditional machine learning models.

Simulation Method and Feature Analysis of Shutdown Pressure Evolution During Multi-Cluster Fracturing Stimulation

Multistage multi-cluster hydraulic fracturing has enabled the economic exploitation of shale reservoirs,but the interpretation of hydraulic fracture parameters is challenging.The pressure signals after pump shutdown are influenced by hydraulic fractures,which can reflect the geometric features of hydraulic fracture.The shutdown pressure can be used to interpret the hydraulic fracture parameters in a real-time and cost-effective manner.In this paper,a mathematical model for shutdown pressure evolution is developed considering the effects of wellbore friction,perforation friction and fluid loss in fractures.An efficient numerical simulation method is established by using the method of characteristics.Based on this method,the impacts of fracture half-length,fracture height,opened cluster and perforation number,and filtration coefficient on the evolution of shutdown pressure are analyzed.The results indicate that a larger fracture half-length may hasten the decay of shutdown pressure,while a larger fracture height can slow down the decay of shutdown pressure.A smaller number of opened clusters and perforations can significantly increase the perforation friction and decrease the overall level of shutdown pressure.A larger filtration coefficient may accelerate the fluid filtration in the fracture and hasten the drop of the shutdown pressure.The simulation method of shutdown pressure,as well as the analysis results,has important implications for the interpretation of hydraulic fracture parameters.

Investigation of point defect evolution and Voronoi cluster analysis for magnesium during nanoindentation

The present study investigates the effect of nanoindentation on single-crystal magnesium specimens using the embedded-atom method potential in molecular dynamics simulation.Analyses are done under dynamic loading where the load-bearing capacity and change in the structural configuration are studied on the basal(Z-direction)and two prismatic planes(X-and Y-directions)with varying indenter velocities.The investigation of structural evolution is done using atomic displacement analyses to measure the net magnitude of displacement,atomic strain analyses to evaluate the shear strain developed in the process,and Wigner-Seitz defect analyses to calculate the total vacancies at varied timesteps.Furthermore,Voronoi analyses are done when indented on the basal plane to identify the cluster distribution at different planar depths of the specimen.From the analyses,it has been observed that the load-bearing capacity of the specimen varies with the indentation velocity and the direction of indentation on the specimen.Additionally,it is seen that the observed shear and total atomic displacement in the Z-direction is the least in comparison to the other two axes.The partial dislocation 1/3<-12-10>is seen to be majorly present and the population of dislocation loops is more abundant for lower indenter velocities.Furthermore,clusters<0,4,4,6>and<0,6,0,8>are the major indices developed during nanoindentation on the basal plane where they exhibit symmetrical distribution as observed from the Z-direction.

基于Blending-Clustering集成学习的大坝变形预测模型

【目的】变形是反映大坝结构性态最直观的效应量,构建科学合理的变形预测模型是保障大坝安全健康运行的重要手段。针对传统大坝变形预测模型预测精度低、误报率高等问题导致的错误报警现象,【方法】选取不同预测模型和聚类算法集成,构建了一种Blending-Clustering集成学习的大坝变形预测模型,该模型以Blending对单一预测模型集成提升预测精度为核心,并通过Clustering聚类优选预测值改善模型稳定性。以新疆某面板堆石坝变形监测数据为实例分析,通过多模型预测性能比较,对所提出模型的预测精度和稳定性进行全面评估。【结果】结果显示:Blending-Clustering模型将预测模型和聚类算法集成,均方根误差(RMSE)和归一化平均百分比误差(nMAPE)明显降低,模型的预测精度得到显著提高;回归相关系数(R~2)得到提升,模型具备更强的拟合能力;在面板堆石坝上22个测点变形数据集上的预测评价指标波动范围更小,模型的泛化性和稳定性得到有效增强。【结论】结果表明:Blending-Clustering集成预测模型对于预测精度、泛化性和稳定性均有明显提升,在实际工程具有一定的应用价值。

Slope deformation partitioning and monitoring points optimization based on cluster analysis

The scientific and fair positioning of monitoring locations for surface displacement on slopes is a prerequisite for early warning and forecasting.However,there is no specific provision on how to effectively determine the number and location of monitoring points according to the actual deformation characteristics of the slope.There are still some defects in the layout of monitoring points.To this end,based on displacement data series and spatial location information of surface displacement monitoring points,by combining displacement series correlation and spatial distance influence factors,a spatial deformation correlation calculation model of slope based on clustering analysis was proposed to calculate the correlation between different monitoring points,based on which the deformation area of the slope was divided.The redundant monitoring points in each partition were eliminated based on the partition's outcome,and the overall optimal arrangement of slope monitoring points was then achieved.This method scientifically addresses the issues of slope deformation zoning and data gathering overlap.It not only eliminates human subjectivity from slope deformation zoning but also increases the efficiency and accuracy of slope monitoring.In order to verify the effectiveness of the method,a sand-mudstone interbedded CounterTilt excavation slope in the Chongqing city of China was used as the research object.Twenty-four monitoring points deployed on this slope were monitored for surface displacement for 13 months.The spatial location of the monitoring points was discussed.The results show that the proposed method of slope deformation zoning and the optimized placement of monitoring points are feasible.

Fuzzy cluster analysis of water mass in the western Taiwan Strait in spring 2019

The classification of the springtime water mass has an important influence on the hydrography,regional climate change and fishery in the Taiwan Strait.Based on 58 stations of CTD profiling data collected in the western and southwestern Taiwan Strait during the spring cruise of 2019,we analyze the spatial distributions of temperature(T)and salinity(S)in the investigation area.Then by using the fuzzy cluster method combined with the T-S similarity number,we classify the investigation area into 5 water masses:the Minzhe Coastal Water(MZCW),the Taiwan Strait Mixed Water(TSMW),the South China Sea Surface Water(SCSSW),the South China Sea Subsurface Water(SCSUW)and the Kuroshio Branch Water(KBW).The MZCW appears in the near surface layer along the western coast of Taiwan Strait,showing low-salinity(<32.0)tongues near the Minjiang River Estuary and the Xiamen Bay mouth.The TSMW covers most upper layer of the investigation area.The SCSSW is mainly distributed in the upper layer of the southwestern Taiwan Strait,beneath which is the SCSUW.The KBW is a high temperature(core value of 26.36℃)and high salinity(core value of 34.62)water mass located southeast of the Taiwan Bank and partially in the central Taiwan Strait.

Integrated classification method of tight sandstone reservoir based on principal component analysise simulated annealing genetic algorithmefuzzy cluster means

In this research,an integrated classification method based on principal component analysis-simulated annealing genetic algorithm-fuzzy cluster means(PCA-SAGA-FCM)was proposed for the unsupervised classification of tight sandstone reservoirs which lack the prior information and core experiments.A variety of evaluation parameters were selected,including lithology characteristic parameters,poro-permeability quality characteristic parameters,engineering quality characteristic parameters,and pore structure characteristic parameters.The PCA was used to reduce the dimension of the evaluation pa-rameters,and the low-dimensional data was used as input.The unsupervised reservoir classification of tight sandstone reservoir was carried out by the SAGA-FCM,the characteristics of reservoir at different categories were analyzed and compared with the lithological profiles.The analysis results of numerical simulation and actual logging data show that:1)compared with FCM algorithm,SAGA-FCM has stronger stability and higher accuracy;2)the proposed method can cluster the reservoir flexibly and effectively according to the degree of membership;3)the results of reservoir integrated classification match well with the lithologic profle,which demonstrates the reliability of the classification method.

Screening biomarkers for spinal cord injury using weighted gene co-expression network analysis and machine learning

Immune changes and inflammatory responses have been identified as central events in the pathological process of spinal co rd injury.They can greatly affect nerve regeneration and functional recovery.However,there is still limited understanding of the peripheral immune inflammato ry response in spinal cord inju ry.In this study.we obtained microRNA expression profiles from the peripheral blood of patients with spinal co rd injury using high-throughput sequencing.We also obtained the mRNA expression profile of spinal cord injury patients from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database(GSE151371).We identified 54 differentially expressed microRNAs and 1656 diffe rentially expressed genes using bioinformatics approaches.Functional enrichment analysis revealed that various common immune and inflammation-related signaling pathways,such as neutrophil extracellular trap formation pathway,T cell receptor signaling pathway,and nuclear factor-κB signal pathway,we re abnormally activated or inhibited in spinal cord inju ry patient samples.We applied an integrated strategy that combines weighted gene co-expression network analysis,LASSO logistic regression,and SVM-RFE algorithm and identified three biomarke rs associated with spinal cord injury:ANO10,BST1,and ZFP36L2.We verified the expression levels and diagnostic perfo rmance of these three genes in the original training dataset and clinical samples through the receiver operating characteristic curve.Quantitative polymerase chain reaction results showed that ANO20 and BST1 mRNA levels were increased and ZFP36L2 mRNA was decreased in the peripheral blood of spinal cord injury patients.We also constructed a small RNA-mRNA interaction network using Cytoscape.Additionally,we evaluated the proportion of 22 types of immune cells in the peripheral blood of spinal co rd injury patients using the CIBERSORT tool.The proportions of naive B cells,plasma cells,monocytes,and neutrophils were increased while the proportions of memory B cells,CD8^(+)T cells,resting natural killer cells,resting dendritic cells,and eosinophils were markedly decreased in spinal cord injury patients increased compared with healthy subjects,and ANO10,BST1 and ZFP26L2we re closely related to the proportion of certain immune cell types.The findings from this study provide new directions for the development of treatment strategies related to immune inflammation in spinal co rd inju ry and suggest that ANO10,BST2,and ZFP36L2 are potential biomarkers for spinal cord injury.The study was registe red in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry(registration No.ChiCTR2200066985,December 12,2022).

Social-ecological perspective on the suicidal behaviour factors of early adolescents in China:a network analysis

Background In early adolescence,youth are highly prone to suicidal behaviours.Identifying modifiable risk factors during this critical phase is a priority to inform effective suicide prevention strategies.Aims To explore the risk and protective factors of suicidal behaviours(ie,suicidal ideation,plans and attempts)in early adolescence in China using a social-ecological perspective.Methods Using data from the cross-sectional project‘Healthy and Risky Behaviours Among Middle School Students in Anhui Province,China',stratified random cluster sampling was used to select 5724 middle school students who had completed self-report questionnaires in November 2020.Network analysis was employed to examine the correlates of suicidal ideation,plans and attempts at four levels,namely individual(sex,academic performance,serious physical llness/disability,history of self-harm,depression,impulsivity,sleep problems,resilience),family(family economic status,relationship with mother,relationship with father,family violence,childhood abuse,parental mental illness),school(relationship with teachers,relationship with classmates,school-bullying victimisation and perpetration)and social(social support,satisfaction with society).Results In total,37.9%,19.0%and 5.5%of the students reported suicidal ideation,plans and attempts in the past 6 months,respectively.The estimated network revealed that suicidal ideation,plans and attempts were collectively associated with a history of self-harm,sleep problems,childhood abuse,school bullying and victimisation.Centrality analysis indicated that the most influential nodes in the network were history of self-harm and childhood abuse.Notably,the network also showed unique correlates of suicidal ideation(sex,weight=0.60;impulsivity,weight=0.24;family violence,weight=0.17;relationship with teachers,weight=-0.03;school-bullying perpetration,weight=0.22),suicidal plans(social support,weight=-0.15)and suicidal attempts(relationship with mother,weight=-0.10;parental mental llness,weight=0.61).Conclusions This study identified the correlates of suicidal ideation,plans and attempts,and provided practical implications for suicide prevention for young adolescents in China.Firstly,this study highlighted the importance of joint interventions across multiple departments.Secondly,the common risk factors of suicidal ideation,plans and attempts were elucidated.Thirdly,this study proposed target interventions to address the unique influencing factors of suicidal ideation,plans and attempts.

Clustered张拉整体结构的动力学建模

针对clustered张拉整体结构,提出了一种基于任意拉格朗日-欧拉(arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian, ALE)法的多体动力学模型。相较于传统的拉格朗日法模型,该研究中的模型具有更为简单的运动学约束。首先,引入了一种ALE时变长度索单元,其网格节点与物质点可以独立运动,提供了一种自然的方式描述结构中运动的滑轮和滑动绳索;其次,利用达朗贝尔原理,推导了该单元的广义力向量并计算了相应的雅可比矩阵;然后,建立了张拉整体系统的动力学方程,并利用广义α算法对其进行求解,选取节点的全局位置坐标和物质坐标作为广义坐标,其中全局位置坐标可以被不同物体共享,以减少动力学方程的自由度数和消除物体间的约束;最后,展示了一个数值算例,10层可折叠张拉整体塔架,对其折叠过程进行了准静态和动力学仿真,验证了模型的有效性。所提出的模型和算法可为clustered张拉整体结构的设计提供理论指导,具有工程意义。

A Novel Cluster Analysis-Based Crop Dataset Recommendation Method in Precision Farming

Data mining and analytics involve inspecting and modeling large pre-existing datasets to discover decision-making information.Precision agriculture uses datamining to advance agricultural developments.Many farmers aren’t getting the most out of their land because they don’t use precision agriculture.They harvest crops without a well-planned recommendation system.Future crop production is calculated by combining environmental conditions and management behavior,yielding numerical and categorical data.Most existing research still needs to address data preprocessing and crop categorization/classification.Furthermore,statistical analysis receives less attention,despite producing more accurate and valid results.The study was conducted on a dataset about Karnataka state,India,with crops of eight parameters taken into account,namely the minimum amount of fertilizers required,such as nitrogen,phosphorus,potassium,and pH values.The research considers rainfall,season,soil type,and temperature parameters to provide precise cultivation recommendations for high productivity.The presented algorithm converts discrete numerals to factors first,then reduces levels.Second,the algorithm generates six datasets,two fromCase-1(dataset withmany numeric variables),two from Case-2(dataset with many categorical variables),and one from Case-3(dataset with reduced factor variables).Finally,the algorithm outputs a class membership allocation based on an extended version of the K-means partitioning method with lambda estimation.The presented work produces mixed-type datasets with precisely categorized crops by organizing data based on environmental conditions,soil nutrients,and geo-location.Finally,the prepared dataset solves the classification problem,leading to a model evaluation that selects the best dataset for precise crop prediction.

Global trends and knowledge-relationship of symptom clusters in cancer research:a bibliometric analysis over the past 20 years

Objective:To use Cite Space and VOSviewer to investigate the scientific production in the field of symptom clusters in cancer research.Methods:The search was performed using the terms“symptom clusters,”“cancer,”and“oncology”on the Web of Science Core Collection database.The retrieval time was from 2001 to 2021,which covers the last 2 decades.Based on the production theory of scientific knowledge and the data mining of citations,data pertaining to the annual publications,journals,countries,organizations,authors,and keywords that produce symptom clusters in cancer research,as well as their cooperation(collaboration network),were extracted,and then both were clarified by the software tools VOSviewer(version 1.6.16)and Cite Space(version 6.1.R2).Results:A total of 1796 publications were retrieved between 2001 and 2021,and 473 relevant publications were included after screening.The results showed an increasing trend in published articles.The United States had the largest number of publications(261/473,55.18%),followed by China and Canada.The University of California,San Francisco,was the most productive institution.Current research hotspots included the analysis of symptom clusters and symptom management in patients with breast cancer and lung cancer,as well as any advanced cancer and cancer cachexia;fatigue-related symptom clusters and depression-anxiety symptom cluster;and the impacts of symptom clusters on quality of life.The research frontiers included analysis between health-related quality of life and symptom clusters,data mining in symptom clusters,research on the mental health status of cancer patients,and study of the mechanism and biological pathways of symptom clusters.Conclusions:The study provides insight into the global research perspective for the scientific progress on cancer symptom clusters,which suggests a growing scientific interest in this field,and more studies are warranted to guide symptom management.

Lagrangian coherent structure analysis on transport of Acetes chinensis along coast of Lianyungang,China

Spatial heterogeneity or“patchiness”of plankton distributions in the ocean has always been an attractive and challenging scientific issue to oceanographers.We focused on the accumulation and dynamic mechanism of the Acetes chinensis in the Lianyungang nearshore licensed fishing area.The Lagrangian frame approaches including the Lagrangian coherent structures theory,Lagrangian residual current,and Lagrangian particle-tracking model were applied to find the transport pathways and aggregation characteristics of Acetes chinensis.There exist some material transport pathways for Acetes chinensis passing through the licensed fishing area,and Acetes chinensis is easy to accumulate in the licensed fishing area.The main mechanism forming this distribution pattern is the local circulation induced by the nonlinear interaction of topography and tidal flow.Both the Lagrangian coherent structure analysis and the particle trajectory tracking indicate that Acetes chinensis in the licensed fishing area come from the nearshore estuary.This work contributed to the adjustment of licensed fishing area and the efficient utilization of fishery resources.

Iron and ferritin effects on intensive care unit mortality:A metaanalysis

BACKGROUND The effect of serum iron or ferritin parameters on mortality among critically ill patients is not well characterized.AIM To determine the association between serum iron or ferritin parameters and mortality among critically ill patients.METHODS Web of Science,Embase,PubMed,and Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies on serum iron or ferritin parameters and mortality among critically ill patients.Two reviewers independently assessed,selected,and abstracted data from studies reporting on serum iron or ferritin parameters and mortality among critically ill patients.Data on serum iron or ferritin levels,mortality,and demographics were extracted.RESULTS Nineteen studies comprising 125490 patients were eligible for inclusion.We observed a slight negative effect of serum ferritin on mortality in the United States population[relative risk(RR)1.002;95%CI:1.002-1.004].In patients with sepsis,serum iron had a significant negative effect on mortality(RR=1.567;95%CI:1.208-1.925).CONCLUSION This systematic review presents evidence of a negative correlation between serum iron levels and mortality among patients with sepsis.Furthermore,it reveals a minor yet adverse impact of serum ferritin on mortality among the United States population.

A Shared Natural Neighbors Based-Hierarchical Clustering Algorithm for Discovering Arbitrary-Shaped Clusters

In clustering algorithms,the selection of neighbors significantly affects the quality of the final clustering results.While various neighbor relationships exist,such as K-nearest neighbors,natural neighbors,and shared neighbors,most neighbor relationships can only handle single structural relationships,and the identification accuracy is low for datasets with multiple structures.In life,people’s first instinct for complex things is to divide them into multiple parts to complete.Partitioning the dataset into more sub-graphs is a good idea approach to identifying complex structures.Taking inspiration from this,we propose a novel neighbor method:Shared Natural Neighbors(SNaN).To demonstrate the superiority of this neighbor method,we propose a shared natural neighbors-based hierarchical clustering algorithm for discovering arbitrary-shaped clusters(HC-SNaN).Our algorithm excels in identifying both spherical clusters and manifold clusters.Tested on synthetic datasets and real-world datasets,HC-SNaN demonstrates significant advantages over existing clustering algorithms,particularly when dealing with datasets containing arbitrary shapes.

A Review on Clustering Methods for Climatology Analysis and Its Application over South America

South America’s climatic diversity is a product of its vast geographical expanse, encompassing tropical to subtropical latitudes. The variations in precipitation and temperature across the region stem from the influence of distinct atmospheric systems. While some studies have characterized the prevailing systems over South America, they often lacked the utilization of statistical techniques for homogenization. On the other hand, other research has employed multivariate statistical methods to identify homogeneous regions regarding temperature and precipitation, but their focus has been limited to specific areas, such as the south, southeast, and northeast. Surprisingly, there is a lack of work that compares various multivariate statistical techniques to determine homogeneous regions across the entirety of South America concerning temperature and precipitation. This paper aims to address this gap by comparing three such techniques: Cluster Analysis (K-means and Ward) and Self Organizing Maps, using data from different sources for temperature (ERA5, ERA5-Land, and CRU) and precipitation (ERA5, ERA5-Land, and CPC). Spatial patterns and time series were generated for each region over the period 1981-2010. The results from this analysis of spatially homogeneous regions concerning temperature and precipitation have the potential to significantly benefit climate analysis and forecasts. Moreover, they can offer valuable insights for various climatological studies, guiding decision-making processes in diverse fields that rely on climate information, such as agriculture, disaster management, and water resources planning.