Three parallel algorithms for classical molecular dynamics are presented. The first assigns each processor a fixed subset of atoms; the second assigns each a fixed subset of inter-atomic forces to compute; the third assigns each a fixed spatial region. The algorithms are suitable for molecular dynamics models which can be difficult to parallelize efficiently—those with short-range forces where the neighbors of each atom change rapidly. They can be implemented on any distributed-memory parallel machine which allows for message-passing of data between independently executing processors. The algorithms are tested on a standard Lennard-Jones benchmark problem for system sizes ranging from 500 to 100,000,000 atoms on several parallel supercomputers--the nCUBE 2, Intel iPSC/860 and Paragon, and Cray T3D. Comparing the results to the fastest reported vectorized Cray Y-MP and C90 algorithm shows that the current generation of parallel machines is competitive with conventional vector supercomputers even for small problems. For large problems, the spatial algorithm achieves parallel efficiencies of 90% and a 1840-node Intel Paragon performs up to 165 faster than a single Cray C9O processor. Trade-offs between the three algorithms and guidelines for adapting them to more complex molecular dynamics simulations are also discussed.

Fast parallel algorithms for short-range molecular dynamics


 The spectral ratio between horizontal and vertical components (H/V ratio) of microtremors measured at the ground surface has been used to estimate fundamental periods and amplification factors of a site, although this technique lacks theoretical background. The aim of this article is to formulate the H/V technique in terms of the characteristics of Rayleigh and Love waves, and to contribute to improve the technique. The improvement includes use of not only peaks but also troughs in the H/V ratio for reliable estimation of the period and use of a newly proposed smoothing function for better estimation of the amplification factor. The formulation leads to a simple formula for the amplification factor expressed with the H/V ratio. With microtremor data measured at 546 junior high schools in 23 wards of Tokyo, the improved technique is applied to mapping site periods and amplification factors in the area.

Ground Motion Characteristics Estimated from Spectral Ratio between Horizontal and Verticcl Components of Mietremors.

Large earthquakes initiate chains of surface processes that last much longer than the brief moments of strong shaking. Most moderate‐ and large‐magnitude earthquakes trigger landslides, ranging from small failures in the soil cover to massive, devastating rock avalanches. Some landslides dam rivers and impound lakes, which can collapse days to centuries later, and flood mountain valleys for hundreds of kilometers downstream. Landslide deposits on slopes can remobilize during heavy rainfall and evolve into debris flows. Cracks and fractures can form and widen on mountain crests and flanks, promoting increased frequency of landslides that lasts for decades. More gradual impacts involve the flushing of excess debris downstream by rivers, which can generate bank erosion and floodplain accretion as well as channel avulsions that affect flooding frequency, settlements, ecosystems, and infrastructure. Ultimately, earthquake sequences and their geomorphic consequences alter mountain landscapes over both human and geologic time scales. Two recent events have attracted intense research into earthquake‐induced landslides and their consequences: the magnitude M 7.6 Chi‐Chi, Taiwan earthquake of 1999, and the M 7.9 Wenchuan, China earthquake of 2008. Using data and insights from these and several other earthquakes, we analyze how such events initiate processes that change mountain landscapes, highlight research gaps, and suggest pathways toward a more complete understanding of the seismic effects on the Earth's surface.

Earthquake-Induced Chains of Geologic Hazards: Patterns, Mechanisms, and Impacts

Smoothed particle hydrodynamics method for fluid flows, towards industrial applications: Motivations, current state, and challenges

Soils that exhibit nonassociated flow may, according to stability postulates by Drucker and by Hill, become unstable when exposed to certain stress paths inside the failure surface. Series of conventional triaxial tests on fully saturated and on partly saturated specimens were performed under drained and undrained conditions to study the regions of stable and unstable behavior. For specimens that compress and have degrees of saturation higher than critical, undrained conditions lead to effective stress paths directed within the region of potential instability, and instability was observed provided the yield surface opens up in the outward direction of the hydrostatic axis. Thus, instability occurs inside the failure surface. Instability is not synonymous with failure, although both may lead to catastrophic events. The location of the instability line is discussed. Examples of a shallow submarine slope and a nearly fully saturated steeper slope representing a tailings dam, which both should remain stable a...

Closure of "Static Instability and Liquefaction of Loose Fine Sandy Slopes"

Landslides are natural phenomena that can cause great loss of life and damage to property. A landslide susceptibility map is a useful tool to help with land management in landslide-prone areas. A support vector machine (SVM) is a machine learning algorithm that uses a small number of samples for prediction and has been widely used in recent years. This paper presents a review of landslide susceptibility mapping using SVM. It presents the basic concept of SVM and its application in landslide susceptibility assessment and mapping. Then it compares the SVM method with four other methods (analytic hierarchy process, logistic regression, artificial neural networks and random forests) used in landslide susceptibility mapping. The application of SVM in landslide susceptibility assessment and mapping is discussed and suggestions for future research are presented. Compared with some of the methods commonly used in landslide susceptibility assessment and mapping, SVM has its strengths and weaknesses owing to its unique theoretical basis. The combination of SVM and other techniques may yield better performance in landslide susceptibility assessment and mapping. A high-quality informative database is essential and classification of landslide types prior to landslide susceptibility assessment is important to help improve model performance.

Review on landslide susceptibility mapping using support vector machines

Flow-like landslides have caused significant damage and casualties worldwide. However, studying such phenomena with traditional simulation methods is made difficult by their complex fluidization characteristics. In this paper, we use smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) for the run-out analysis of flow-like landslides. Compared with conventional methods, the proposed SPH modeling technique is the combination of a Bingham flow model and Navier–Stokes equations in the framework of computational fluid dynamics. At first, two benchmark problems of dam break and granular flow are simulated and verified to evaluate the accuracy of the SPH model. Then, run-out analyses are performed for flow-like landslides triggered by the Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake that occurred on 12 May 2008 in Sichuan Province, China. Run-out analyses of the Tangjiashan, Wangjiayan, and Donghekou landslides are conducted by the application of SPH models to real flow-like landslides. All simulations show good agreement with characteristics of flow-like landslides observed in the field. We have found that numerical modeling can capture the fundamental dynamic behavior of these flow-like landslides and produce preliminary results for hazard assessment and site selection for reconstruction in earthquake-prone areas.

Run-out analysis of flow-like landslides triggered by the Ms 8.0 2008 Wenchuan earthquake using smoothed particle hydrodynamics

On 13 August 2010, significant debris flows were triggered by intense rainfall events in Wenchuan earthquake-affected areas, destroying numerous houses, bridges, and traffic facilities. To investigate the impact force of debris flows, a fluid–structure coupled numerical model based on smoothed particle hydrodynamics is established in this work. The debris flow material is modeled as a viscous fluid, and the check dams are simulated as elastic solid (note that only the maximum impact forces are evaluated in this work). The governing equations of both phases are solved respectively, and their interaction is calculated. We validate the model with the simulation of a sand flow model test and confirm its ability to calculate the impact force. The Wenjia gully and Hongchun gully debris flows are simulated as the application of the coupled smoothed particle hydrodynamic model. The propagation of the debris flows is then predicted, and we obtain the evolution of the impact forces on the check dams.

SPH model for fluid–structure interaction and its application to debris flow impact estimation

3D numerical modeling using smoothed particle hydrodynamics of flow-like landslide propagation triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake

Liquefaction, which can be defined as a loss of strength and stiffness in soils, is one of the major causes of damage to buildings and infrastructure during an earthquake. To overcome a lack of comprehensive analyses of seismically induced liquefaction, this study reviews the characteristics of liquefaction and its related damage to soils and foundations during earthquakes in the first part of the twenty-first century. Based on seismic data analysis, macroscopic phenomena of liquefaction (e.g., sand boiling, ground cracking, and lateral spread) are summarized, and several new phenomena related to earthquakes from the twenty-first century are highlighted, including liquefaction in areas with moderate seismic intensity, liquefaction of gravelly soils, liquefaction of deep-level sandy soils, re-liquefaction in aftershocks, liquid-like behavior of unsaturated sandy soils. Additionally, phenomena related to damage in soils and foundations induced by liquefaction are investigated and discussed.

Yu Huang

Papers

Review on landslide susceptibility mapping using support vector machines

Run-out analysis of flow-like landslides triggered by the Ms 8.0 2008 Wenchuan earthquake using smoothed particle hydrodynamics

SPH model for fluid–structure interaction and its application to debris flow impact estimation

3D numerical modeling using smoothed particle hydrodynamics of flow-like landslide propagation triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake

Review of soil liquefaction characteristics during major earthquakes of the twenty-first century