Landslide displacement interval prediction using lower upper bound estimation method with pre-trained random vector functional link network initialization.

Interval prediction is an efficient approach to quantifying the uncertainties associated with landslide evolution. In this paper, a novel method, termed lower upper bound estimation (LUBE), of constructing prediction intervals (PIs) based on neural networks (NNs) is applied and extended to landslide displacement prediction. A random vector functional link network (RVFLN) is adopted as the NN used in the improved LUBE. A hybrid evolutionary algorithm, termed PSOGSA, that combines particle swarm optimization (PSO) and gravitational search algorithm (GSA) is utilized to train LUBE. The loss function of LUBE is redesigned by considering the quality of PI centre, which allows for a more comprehensive evaluation of PIs. The population initialization in the training process of LUBE is implemented by transferring the weights of a series of pre-trained RVFLNs. The performance of the improved LUBE method is validated by considering a comprehensive set of cases using seven benchmark datasets. In addition, a hybrid method that integrates ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) with the improved LUBE is proposed for the special case of landslide displacement prediction. Six real-world reservoir-induced landslides are considered to validate the capability and merit of the proposed hybrid method.