Application of Topic Modelling for the Construction of Semantic Frames for Named Rivers

Abstract

EcoLexicon is a terminological knowledge base on environmental science whose design permits the geographic contextualization of data. For the geographic contextualization of concepts related to named landforms, this paper presents a semi-automatic method of extracting terms associated with named rivers (e.g., Salinas River). Terms were extracted from a specialized corpus on Coastal Engineering, where named rivers were automatically identified. Statistical procedures were applied for selecting both terms and rivers in distributional semantic models to construct the conceptual structures underlying the usage of named rivers. The rivers sharing associated terms were also clustered and represented in the same conceptual network. The results showed that the method successfully described the semantic frames of named rivers with explanatory adequacy, according to the premises of Frame-based Terminology. Furthermore, the semantic networks unveiled that the named rivers were thematically related to sediment concentration in rivers, sediment discharge into bays, the negative effects of sediment supply decrease on coastal erosion, and national shoreline management plans for managing risks due to flooding and erosion.