Comparing Landslide Maps: A Case Study in the Upper Tiber River Basin, Central Italy

/ The preparation of landslide maps is an important step in any landslide hazard assessment. Landslides maps are prepared around the world, but little effort is made to assess their reliability, outline their main characteristics, and pinpoint their limitations. In order to redress this imbalance, the results of a long-term research project in the Upper Tiber River basin in central Italy are used to compare reconnaissance and detailed landslide inventory maps, statistical and geomorphologically based density maps, and landslide hazard maps obtained by multivariate statistical modeling. An attempt is made to discuss advantages and limitations of the available maps, outlining possible applications for decision-makers, land developers, and environmental and civil defence agencies. The Tiber experiment has confirmed that landslides can be cost-effectively mapped by interpreting aerial photographs coupled with field surveys and that errors and uncertainties associated with the inventory can be quantified. The experiment has shown that GIS makes it easy to prepare landslide density maps and facilitates the production of statistically based landslide hazard models. The former supply an overview of the distribution of landslides that is easily comprehended but do not provide insight on the causes of instability. The latter, giving insight into the causes of instability, are diagnostically powerful, but are difficult to prepare and exploit.     

基于典型线路地质灾害调查成果进行地质灾害区划评价的研究

根据影响区域地质灾害发生的地质因素、地形因素、诱发因素和人为因素,在工作区上选取典型线路开展地质灾害发生发育状况调查,根据调查成果总结规律,提取影响因子,建立区域地质灾害评价指标体系,对典型线路穿越的评价试验区进行地质灾害区域评价,验证线路成果应用于区域地质灾害评价的可行性,对于调查人员无法涉足、遥感技术难以应用的地区的地质灾害的评价工作有重要价值。     

地质灾害危险性区划评价中隶属度函数构造方法的探讨

运用模糊综合评判方法进行地质灾害危险性区划评价的过程中,隶属函数的构造是一项复杂而重要的工作。在总结前人经验的基础上,对参与区划评价的定量因子的隶属度计算采用了一个简化的"二值模型"的方法构造隶属函数,计算隶属度,收到较好的效果。     

基于支持向量机的地震灾害自动成图方法

地震灾害风险评估中有许多定性图件,目前常用的成图方法是根据研究区的离散点钻孔结果人工勾画,费时费力;或对离散点钻孔结果强制赋予0、1数值,然后进行插值成图,其从逻辑上不能真实反映场地的客观情况。基于支持向量机技术,该文提出了使用分类工具SVC,将不同结果的离散点钻孔在空间上进行合理分类的自动成图方法。相较于传统方法,该方法效率高,成本低。     

Pre-evacuation path planning in chemicals-concentrated areas with risk assessment and individual character analysis

With the ever-increasing development of those chemical parks (concentrated areas), the inherent hazards may remain the major leading cause of serious casualties, causing dramatic increases in deaths and injuries. Despite this, proper path beforehand can effectively minimise the number of deaths or injured. In this study, in order to better address the aforesaid issue, the pre-evacuation path planning was adopted to do so. This method can serve to prepare emergency response in case of extreme events, such as fires, explosions, or dangerous leakages, because these accidents could happen in chemical parks (concentrated areas). To that end, a framework was therefore proposed. First, the general risk representation was conducted. After the main hazards as well as the vulnerability within the facilities was identified, the interaction between those two factors could be expressed with matrices. This was followed by the analysis of the domino effect, which tends to occur under such circumstances. Second, individuals' visibility and inclination at each location to choose the nearest exit gate or shelter zone were analyzed by space syntax analysis. Third, a weighted risk map mainly composed of risk, individual's visibility, and inclination of exits was therefore generated. And the lowest cumulative risk path was simulated and analyzed accordingly. Finally, the map modified with received risks suggests that each individual's safest route from their current locations can be possibly simulated with Dijkstra's algorithm, which corresponds to the lowest cumulative risk. For the purposes of illustration and validation, a real case was adopted. The results demonstrated that this framework could provide both technical and theoretical support for the pre-evacuation path planning in chemicals-concentrated areas like chemicals-concentrated areas.     

A new multiple-risk map approach to solve process plant layout considering safety and economic aspects

Mathematical models used to optimize the process plant layout (PPL) with risk reduction have four primary objectives, which are related to the minimization of land, pumping (pipe system), protection system devices, and risk costs. Moreover, these models are of two types: continuous plane models (CPM) and grid-based models (GBM); however, the nonconvexity of the CPM models makes difficult to achieve the global optimum, because it is formulated as Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP). Thus, the risk map approach has been implemented with the grid-based models to solve problems of process plant layout focused on finding the best possible solution. However, these risk map formulations present important limitations, mainly related with the use of protection devices and the occupied area. Therefore, a new GBM-MILP formulation is proposed to optimize the selection of protection devices and minimize the occupied area. The risk is reduced through the investment on safety devices instead of considering the increase of separation distances. The proposed model was used to solve the layout problem of an ethylene oxide process, and the results was compared with a process layout reported in the literature. The results show that the model can provide the best possible solution; however, the time spent in the calculation is considerably greater than that reported for continuous plane models. Finally, the model can be used by decision-makers to evaluate different layout options for several explosion scenarios, during the early stages of the plant design.     

Meteorological conditions at the release site during the two tracer experiments

The state of the boundary layer at the release site during the two tracer experiments is described, based on measurements of atmospheric turbulence carried out by a sonic anemometer, profiles of horizontal and vertical wind by a SODAR as well as frequent radiosonde releases. The boundary layer height is derived from radiosoundings, modelled and discussed. The study is meant as background for discussions of the tracer behaviour near the release site, and possible influence of the local meteorology at the release site on the long-range dispersion. The difference in the initial meso-meteorological conditions between the two experiments is discussed and some of its consequences for the dispersion of the released tracer are clarified. It is concluded that the first experiment is well suited for validation of long-range transport and dispersion models, whereas the second experiment calls for further model development. It is concluded that the micrometeorological measurements are very important as background information for the understanding of plume behaviour on small as well as long scales.     

基于GIS组件的环境影响评价地图系统

论述了利用GIS组件开发环境影响评价专题地图应用软件的优点 ,对系统的总体构思及功能进行了详细的说明 ,设计了环境地理信息系统处理模块的软件界面 ,实现了GIS的基本功能 ;对于处理完成的专题地图 ,建立图片数据库应用软件进行保存 ,并通过数据库实现地图库中图片的删除、浏览及打印等功能。本应用软件可广泛应用于环境影响评价领域 ,并对深层次的GIS软件开发具有一定的借鉴作用     

Characterizing the Extent of Spatially Integrated Floodplain and Wetland Systems in the White River,Indiana, USA

Floodplain delineation may inform protection of wetland systems under local, state, or federal laws. Nationally available Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs, “100‐year floodplain” maps) focus on urban areas and higher‐order river systems, limiting utility at large scales. Few other national‐scale floodplain data are available. We acquired FIRMs for a large watershed and compared FIRMs to floodplain and integrated wetland area mapping methods based on (1) geospatial distance, (2) geomorphic setting, and (3) soil characteristics. We used observed flooding events (OFEs) with recurrence intervals of 25‐50 to >100 years to assess floodplain estimate accuracy. FIRMs accurately reflected floodplain areas based on OFEs and covered 32% of river length, whereas soil‐based mapping was not as accurate as FIRMs but characterized floodplain areas over approximately 65% of stream length. Geomorphic approaches included more areas than indicated by OFE, whereas geospatial approaches tended to cover less area. Overall, soil‐based methods have the highest utility in determining floodplains and their integrated wetland areas at large scales due to the use of nationally available data and flexibility for regional application. These findings will improve floodplain and integrated wetland system extent assessment for better management at local, state, and national scales.     

The Crisis Map of the Czech Republic: the nationwide deployment of an Ushahidi application for disasters

Crisis mapping is a legitimate component of both crisis informatics and disaster risk management. It has become an effective tool for humanitarian workers, especially after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. Ushahidi is among the many mapping platforms on offer in the growing field of crisis mapping, and involves the application of crowdsourcing to create online and interactive maps of areas in turmoil. This paper presents the Crisis Map of the Czech Republic, which is the first such instrument to be deployed nationwide in Central Europe. It describes the methodologies used in the preparatory work phase and details some practices identified during the creation and actual employment of the map. In addition, the paper assesses its structure and technological architecture, as well as its potential possible development in the future. Lastly, it evaluates the utilisation of the Crisis Map during the floods in the Czech Republic in 2013.