Geological Catastrophes Research Articles

Landslide susceptibility evaluation based on landslide classification and ANN-NFR modelling in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, China

The Chongqing section of the Three Gorges Reservoir area (TGRA) is a high-risk geological catastrophe warning zone in the Yangtze River Basin. This study aimed to categorize landslides and improve the accuracy of landslide susceptibility evaluations by combining the artificial neural networks (ANN) and the normalized frequency ratio (NFR) models. Considering that the indicator factors have different effects on various landslides, the landslides were separated into four types, that is, giant, large, medium, and small. Thirteen indicator factors were selected through correlation analysis, including elevation, lithology, precipitation, land use, population density, and so on. Combined with 7777 historical landslide events, an ANN-NFR coupling model was proposed. The susceptibility grade prediction of landslides for the entire region was conducted using a GIS platform. Compared to the NFR model, the ANN-NFR model could improve the accuracy of landslide susceptibility evaluation by approximately 4%. This indicates that the ANN-NFR model is an effective method to calculate the weights of indicator factors. The FR value of large landslides is 9.201 in the very susceptibility region, and the model evaluation effect is superior to that of the other three types of landslides. The success rate of the ANN-NFR model after landslide classification was 78.9%, and the prediction rate was 78.6%, both of which were greater than the unclassified ANN-NFR model. Therefore, the ANN-NFR (landslide classified) model could improve the prediction accuracy and can provide a scientific basis for disaster prevention, mitigation, and management in the TGRA.

The prediction of dynamical quantities in granular avalanches based on graph neural networks.

The study of granular avalanches in rotating drums is not only essential to understanding various complex behaviors of interest in granular media from a scientific perspective; it also has valuable applications in regard to industrial processes and geological catastrophes. Despite decades of research studies on avalanches, a proper understanding of their dynamic properties still remains a great challenge to scientists due to a lack of state-of-the-art techniques. In this study, we accurately predict the avalanche dynamic features of three-dimensional granular materials in rotating drums, by using graph neural networks on the basis of their initial static microstructures alone. We find that our method is robust to changes in various model parameters, such as the interaction potential, size polydispersity, and noise in particle coordinates. In addition, with the grain-scale velocities obtained either from our network or from numerical simulations, we find an approximately equal and strong correlation between the global velocity and global velocity fluctuation in our 3D granular avalanche systems, which further demonstrates the predictive power of our trained graph neural networks to uncover the fundamental physics of granular avalanches. We expect our method to provide more insight into the avalanche dynamics of granular materials and other amorphous systems in the future.

The Negative Impact of the Three Gorges Dam on Its Area and the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River after Its Construction

The Three Gorges Dam (TGD) is one of the largest construction projects all over the world. The construction of TGD causes significant and far-reaching consequences on the Yangtze River basin (YTR basin). It has brought numerous benefits, particularly with regard to the flood control, the development of hydroelectric power, the shipping industry, and tourism. Yet, it has also resulted in environmental destruction and geological catastrophes. This research investigates the detrimental effects of the TGD on the ecological environment as well as geological disasters through a review of relevant literatures. In general, the positive aspects of the TGD far outweigh its drawbacks, particularly as a consequence of the establishment of monitoring stations and the restoration of the ecologically degraded areas.

Modeling of the thermal-hydrodynamic and chemical regime of Geyser reservoir (Valley of Geyser, Kamchatka)

The thermal-hydrodynamic and chemical eight-decade history of the Geysers production reservoir in the Valley of Geysers (Kamchatka) shows either linear multiyear trends, seasonal cycles, or stepwise changes synchronized with geological catastrophes. Recent changes, apparently caused by surface meteoric water inflow into the productive Geysers reservoir as a result of caprock erosion from the 2007 catastrophic landslide and 2014 mud-flow, include: (1) seasonality of deep component discharge, (2) a drop in CO2 fraction of the gas content of geysers followed by a decrease in geyser eruption capacity, (3) increases in standard geothermometers (Na/K and SiO2) and (4) increases in the sulfate component. 2D numerical thermal-hydrodynamic (TH) model was developed and applied to explain the seasonal decrease in deep component discharge as an effect of gas phase condensation and upflows capture caused by cold water infiltration from the surface during flood periods. Thermo-hydrodynamic-chemical (THC) models and total chemical discharge/recharge balances were used to explain CO2 sequestration, increased sulfate component, and increased standard geothermometers due to gypsum/calcite transformation in surface water infiltration pathways rather than reservoir heating.

Numerical analysis of the geomechanical responses during natural gas hydrate production by multilateral wells

Multilateral wells are acknowledged as a promising well type to achieve the commercial development of natural gas hydrate. Previous studies have validated the efficacy of multilateral wells for hydrate mining without considering the geomechanical responses. However, effective stress increases during hydrate extraction by depressurization, and the reservoir skeleton degrades with hydrate dissociation, which might induce stress concentration, stratum subsidence, seafloor inclination, and other hazards. Understanding the geomechanical responses is thus crucial for the design of hydrate exploitation utilizing multilateral wells. As a continuation of our previous study, a coupled thermal-hydrologic-mechanical model was constructed to investigate the geomechanical responses during hydrate production by multilateral wells. Results reveal that multilateral wells can upgrade geomechanical risks and gas production capacity for hydrate exploitation. Stress concentration and stratum sinks are prevalent around the multilateral well. Increasing production pressure may alleviate stratum subsidence but has a noticeable impact on gas production. Since stratum inclination generated by hydrate mining with multilateral wells is minimal, geological catastrophes are most improbable. For utilizing multilateral wells in hydrate extraction, it is recommended to pay more attention to wellbore and wellhead safety.

Evolution of Human Civilization: Sun Galaxy

The development of the Earth's civilization has reached a level when the question arose about the future prospects for the preservation and development of human civilization. The geological past-catastrophes-indicate the destruction of 95% of all biodiversity every 60 million years. Geological catastrophes are associated with the annihilation of planets when they fall into the black hole of the Sun. There are 6 million years left before the fall of the planet Mercury into the black hole of the Sun. At the same time, it is important to take into account the preparedness of the biosphere of the planet Mars for its possible colonization. Colonization of Mars should not destroy the biosphere of Mars, otherwise the meaning of colonization will be lost. The article is a continuation of the monograph and a series of articles by the authors on the global development of the solar system and the motion of planets in spiral orbits [12, 14, 16]. In this article has two directions in substantiating the correctness of his explanation of the origin of human civilization:-evolutionary according to Darwin,-and let's call it divine-everything is created by God. Both of these directions do not have sufficient grounds to exclude an ambiguous interpretation of the origin of man in civilization. However, when planning the development of civilization, it is important to take into account not only the capabilities of the civilization itself, but also the opportunities given by God -that is, a natural evolutionary process that creates a material basis for the implementation of both directions. The article deals with the issues of the origin of biodiversity on planets in certain orbits. The need to prepare human civilization for the transition to Mars is predicted when this planet reaches its optimal orbit.

Review of Melissa Bailes’ “The Psychologization of Geological Catastrophe in Mary Shelley’s The Last Man.”

Review of Melissa Bailes’ “The Psychologization of Geological Catastrophe in Mary Shelley’s The Last Man.”

The impact of slit and detention dams on debris flow control using GSTARS 3.0

Debris flows, often the result of environmental degradation in mountainous areas, can be an extreme geological catastrophe. The concept of building detention dams to control debris flows has emerged after numerous deaths and huge economic losses have accumulated due to the destruction of infrastructure. Detention dams are well known for their efficient flow control and relatively low installation cost. However, their efficiency in decreasing peak flow is adversely affected by sedimentation, which not only decreases the effective lifetime of dams but also causes obstruction of outlets. In this research, the capability of GSTARS3.0 (Generalized Sediment Transport model for Alluvial River Simulation) was evaluated for a semi-three-dimensional simulation of sedimentation and flow routing in the reservoirs of two different kinds of detention dams: a classic detention dam and a slit dam. Sediment transport, scour, and deposition processes were simulated and calibrated along an experimental flume that represented the reservoirs of the detention dams to give a semi-three-dimensional variation of the bed geometry after debris flow events. Finally, models were applied to the Mojen River, Iran, as a real case. The model results convincingly show the capability of the GSTARS3.0 model to simulate sedimentation in reservoirs and the superiority of slit dams in controlling debris flow.

Stoch-aptation: a new term in evolutionary biology and paleontology

Following two seminal papers published in the journal Paleobiology by Stephen Jay Gould and Elisabeth Vrba several decades ago, I suggest a new term (stoch-aptation) to refer to those individual traits or sets of traits that provide, just by chance, fitness adventages to species when faced with catastrophes (i.e. geological events triggering massive mortality), and that may lead to the origin of taxonomical entities above the species level. I provide as an example of stoch-aptations the set of features that helped mammals pass the Cretaceous-Paleogene transition, as well as traits behind the success of living fossils. However, the identification of specific stoch-aptations can be difficult. This missing term is necessary and useful to (a) consolidate the idea of selection at different hierarchical levels, (b) acknowledge the role of chance in the evolution of higher taxonomical categories and (c) think of the role of geological catastrophes as generators of innovation.

Editorial introduction to the Geokarst hazards 2009 special issue

Karst terranes are among the most unique geological features on Earth. They provide geological and archeological evidences of the evolution of life, host natural resources and form exotic landscapes upon which a large human population depends. These settings are also considered among the most vulnerable places in the world to natural and/or man-induced hazards. Preservation and sustainable utilization of natural resources and protection of local communities from risks within karst areas require a reliable understanding of karst from diverse perspectives. This is achieved through a multi-disciplinary approach, combining expertise from different fields of the geosciences and coordination with international experts in these fields. In Vietnam, karst outcrops are located for the most part in the northern part of the country and are representative of up to 30 % of the northern landmass. Natural resources upon which a large portion of the nation’s population relies are found in karst terranes and these sites are among the most important grounds for the existence of local communities. Most of the available groundwater resources of northern Vietnam are related to Paleozoic and Mesozoic karst hydro structures. Karstic regions in Vietnam are also vulnerable to geological catastrophes and natural hazards. In addition, the wellbeing of local communities in these areas is increasingly threatened by shortage of water and/or water pollution issues. Despite numerous research programs developed to study many aspects of karst geology, a thorough understanding of the nature of karst regions, their importance in local life and sustainability, and their vulnerability is lacking. To better understand the geology, natural resources, and natural and anthropogenic hazards that form the basis for wise use and sustainable management of karst areas, an international symposium on ‘‘Geology, Natural Resources and Hazards in Karst Regions (GEOKARST 2009)’’ was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on November 12–15, 2009. The symposium was endorsed by UNESCO and jointly organized by the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology and other Vietnamese research agencies, the International Research Center on Karst (China), the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (Austria), and the University of La Sapienza (Italy). Eight countries were represented by 26 participants from universities and research institutes around the world. They were joined by more than 60 Vietnamese participants and 200 students from universities, research institutes and geoscience societies in Vietnam and overseas. Many officials and experts from central and local government offices of Vietnam also attended. The symposium also welcomed the participation of Dr. Giuseppe Arduino of UNESCO Regional Science Bureau for Asia and Pacific Office Jakarta and Dr. James LaMoreaux, Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Earth Sciences Journal. Twenty-three oral and 14 poster presentations were presented in four technical sessions of the GEOKARST 2009. Many critical issues of karst regions were addressed including regional geology, natural resources; vulnerability, quantitative and modern approaches to the understanding of karst systems, and creative strategies and approaches to sustainable preservation and development in karst regions. The symposium was supplemented by a twoday field excursion to explore the unique geological diversity of the UNESCO Natural and Geological Heritage and Conservation Area, Ha Long Bay–Cat Ba Island karst area. H. T. Tran (&) Faculty of Geology, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, Tu Liem, Hanoi, Vietnam e-mail: tranthanhhai.humg@gmail.com

Shelley's ‘cancelled cycles’: Huttonian Geomorphology and Catastrophe in Prometheus Unbound (1820)

In an important recent study of the theories of the eighteenth-century Scottish geologist James Hutton, Tom Furniss has read Hutton’s 1788 text as ‘Romantic science’, arguing that Hutton’s depiction of the earth as a ‘self-sustaining. . . organism whose design bears witness to the wisdom and goodness of nature itself’ offers a model of nature that finds parallels in Coleridge’s and Wordsworth’s Romantic theory. Demonstrating how Hutton’s text participates in the formation of Romantic culture, Furniss explores the continuities between Hutton’s ostensibly Enlightenment science and Romantic sensibilities. Building on Furniss’s argument, this paper reads Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound (1820) as a text that responds to both the empirical and Romantic character of Huttonian earth science, and crucially, as a text that uses the mechanisms of geological change Hutton posits in order to figure a characteristically Shelleyan revolution. It is a commonplace to read Shelley’s ideal model of socio/political reform as a gradual, non-violent and ideological revolution in which the values of the intellectual elite are filtered down and assimilated into the social body over generations. However, with regards to Prometheus Unbound, the structural mechanism through which Shelley figures this transformation has not been fully identified. I argue that a more coherent picture of the Shelleyan revolution emerges once the drama’s Huttonian deep structure is brought into relief, and that the geology of Shelley’s text, which has been read in terms of Georges Cuvier’s descriptions of the effects of serial geological catastrophe, can only be fully understood once the drama as a whole is framed within the wider cycles of Huttonian geological theory. Shelley’s depiction of sequential tyrannies – of ‘cancelled cycles’ and the ‘wrecks . . . of many a city vast’ (4.289, 296) – evokes Constantin Francois Volney’s The Ruins: or a Survey of the Revolutions of Empires (1791), a text that Shelley knew well and that resonates in much of his politically charged poetry, and one that offered a powerful indictment of a world denied moral and intellectual maturity. That The Ruins made a ‘deep . . . impression upon Shelley’, and that ‘echoes of it are to be found in Prometheus Unbound’, has long been recognised. Also well known is Shelley’s adherence to the Godwinian view that political reform should ‘take place in a mild and gradual, though incessant advance, not by violent leaps’. In A Philosophical View

Importance of Charles Lyell’s works for the formation of scientific geological ideology

Ch. Lyell’s works, the main work among which entitled Principles of Geology was published 180 years ago in 1830, created a new concept and laid the groundwork for modern geological science, methods for the study of geological processes and geological history based on the investigation of recent environments and processes. These propositions with natural corrections are also used in geological works at present. They have demonstrated persistence of the geological history and absence of global geological catastrophes. This fact was of great importance in science and ideology, because it changed basically the perception of the Earth’s nature and history based on the biblical world pattern.

Martin J.S. Rudwick, Worlds Before Adam: The Reconstruction of Geohistory in the Age of Reform

It is a daunting task to review one of Martin Rudwick’s books. A former palaeontologist, Martin Rudwick is the author of many books, among which The Meaning of Fossils: Episodes in the History of Palaeontology (1972), The Great Devonian Controversy: The Shaping of Scientific Knowledge among Gentlemanly Specialists (1985), Scenes from Deep Time: Early Pictorial Representations of the Prehistoric World (1992), Georges Cuvier, Fossil Bones, and Geological Catastrophes (1997), The New Science of ...

Book Review: The archaeology of geological catastrophes

Book Review: The archaeology of geological catastrophes

The Archaeology of Geological Catastrophes. By W. J. McGuire, D. R. Griffiths, P. L. Hancock, and I. S. Stewart.

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsThe Archaeology of Geological Catastrophes. By W. J. McGuire, D. R. Griffiths, P. L. Hancock, and I. S. Stewart.Les ColeLes Cole Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by American Journal of Archaeology Volume 105, Number 4October 2001 The journal of the Archaeological Institute of America Views: 1Total views on this site Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/507419 Views: 1Total views on this site Copyright © 2001 by the Archaeological Institute of America. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

The Archaeology of geological catastrophes

Archaeology is playing an increasingly important role in unravelling the details of geological catastrophes that occurred in the past few millennia. This collection of papers addresses both established and innovative archaeological methods and techniques, and their application in examining the impact of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. This comprehensive volume includes case studies from around the world, such as Europe, Africa, SE Asia, Central and North America; covering historical and archaeological aspects of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Although the bulk of the collection views earthquakes and volcanic eruptions as agents of destruction, the volume also considers their potential benefits to past cultures - providing materials for tools, building and sculpture, and even the fertile environmental conditions on which societies depended. New geophysical, geological, and archaeometrical methods and techniques are described and the application of these new ideas presented, providing improved knowledge of these ancient catastrophes. There is a strong focus on arguably the most prominent geological catastrophe in the archaeological record - the Bronze Age eruption of Thera (Santorini, Greece) and its consequent regional impacts on Minoan culture. This multidisciplinary text is of benefit to academic researchers and educators in archaeology, palaeoseismology and volcanology alike.

Magmatism and geodynamics: terrestrial magmatism throughout the earth's history

1. Principles of Petrological Analysis of Igneous Rocks 2. Magmatism and Geological Catastrophes 3. Magmatism in the Context of the Present-day Tectonic Settings 4. Magmatism of Phanerozoic Belts 5. Phanerozoic Anorogenic Magmatism 6. Early Proterozoic Magmatism and Geodynamics - Evidence of a Fundamental Change in the Earth's Evolution 7. Magmatism and Geodynamics in the Archaean 8. General Features of Magmatic Evolution Throughout the Earth's History 9. Terrestrial and Lunar Magmatism: An Evolutionary Overview 10. The Sources and Origins of Magmas

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Archaeology is playing an increasingly important role in unravelling the details of geological catastrophes that occurred in the past few millennia. This collection of papers addresses both established and innovative archaeological methods and techniques, and their application in examining the impact of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.This comprehensive volume includes case studies from around the world, such as Europe, Africa, SE Asia, Central and North America; covering historical and archaeological aspects of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Although the bulk of the collection views earthquakes and volcanic eruptions as agents of destruction, the volume also considers their potential benefits to past cultures - providing materials for tools, building and sculpture, and even the fertile environmental conditions on which societies depended. New geophysical, geological, and archaeometrical methods and techniques are described and the application of these new ideas presented, providing improved knowledge of these ancient catastrophes. There is a strong focus on arguably the most prominent geological catastrophe in the archaeological record - the Bronze Age eruption of Thera (Santorini, Greece) and its consequent regional impacts on Minoan culture. This multidisciplinary text is of benefit to academic researchers and educators in archaeology, palaeoseismology and volcanology alike.

Georges Cuvier, Fossil Bones, and Geological Catastrophes by M. J. S. Rudwick. University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1997. No. of pages: xvi+301. Price: £27.95 (US$34.95) (hardback). ISBN 0-22673106-5.

Geological JournalVolume 34, Issue 4 p. 416-416 Book ReviewFree Access Georges Cuvier, Fossil Bones, and Geological Catastrophes by M. J. S. Rudwick. University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1997. No. of pages: xvi+301. Price: £27.95 (US$34.95) (hardback). ISBN 0-22673106-5. H. S. Torrens, H. S. TorrensSearch for more papers by this author H. S. Torrens, H. S. TorrensSearch for more papers by this author First published: 31 January 2000 https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1034(199911/12)34:4<416::AID-GJ781>3.0.CO;2-YAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume34, Issue4November/December 1999Pages 416-416 RelatedInformation

Georges Cuvier, Fossils Bones, and Geological Catastrophes: New Translations and Interpretations of the Primary Texts. Martin J. S. Rudwick.The Last Dinosaur Book. W. J. T. Mitchell.

Previous articleNext article No AccessGeorges Cuvier, Fossils Bones, and Geological Catastrophes: New Translations and Interpretations of the Primary Texts. Martin J. S. Rudwick. The Last Dinosaur Book. W. J. T. Mitchell.Gillen Darcy WoodGillen Darcy Wood Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Wordsworth Circle Volume 30, Number 4Autumn 1999 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/TWC24044157 Views: 1Total views on this site © 1999 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.