surmounting

English translation: overflowing

07:01 Jul 26, 2016
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Architecture
English term or phrase: surmounting
In both cases, redundant and conservative measures should be implemented owing to the intrinsic cliff edge characteristics involved in surmounting the protective barriers in place.

I cannot understand this section of the sentence at all: owing to the intrinsic cliff edge characteristics involved in surmounting the protective barriers in place. However, these info may help you:

Barriers refer to those preventive actions which are required to protect nuclear plants from tsunami.

I found this definition for cliff-edge effect: in taxation, a situation where a small increase in income leads to a large loss of benefits or increase in taxes due. This is related to tax. However, I can relate this to nuclear plants in this way: when small risks may lead to huge damage to nuclear plants.
Masoud Kakouli Varnousfaderani
Türkiye
Local time: 22:45
Selected answer:overflowing
Explanation:
What I *think* they are trying to say is that when the water level gets higher than the protective barrier, it is a sudden failure. Once the water comes over the top, the barrier is no use and provides no protection at all.

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Note added at 5 hrs (2016-07-26 12:06:53 GMT)
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Yes, I more or less agree with your definition. I think the cliff edge is referring to the sudden increase in damage when the water passes over the barrier. It is all or nothing - like falling off a cliff. You can't fall off a cliff slowly or partially - you either fall or you don't. It's the same way with the barriers - they are either high enough or they are not, there is no real intermediate state.
Selected response from:

Terry Richards
France
Local time: 20:45
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
2 +3breaching
Armorel Young
3overflowing
Terry Richards


Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +3
breaching


Explanation:
I suspect that the writer has used an inappropriate word here - "surmount" is usually a positive thing, something that you want to do, e.g. surmount an obstacle. "Breaching" has more negative connotations. More loosely, you could say "associated with failure of the protective barriers".

I agree with Terry that "cliff-edge" means sudden and catastrophic failure, like falling off the edge of a cliff - that is why you need redundant and conservative measures.



Armorel Young
Local time: 19:45
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher
56 mins

neutral  Terry Richards: To my ear, surmounting means going over the top whereas breaching implies a physical failure of the barrier. The end results would, of course, be the same. :)
3 hrs
  -> I have to say that I agree with you and was expecting someone to make that comment :-)

agree  British Diana: Are we referring to water going over the top of the barrier? If so I find the cliff edge image distracting
1 day 6 hrs

agree  acetran
3 days 7 hrs
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22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
overflowing


Explanation:
What I *think* they are trying to say is that when the water level gets higher than the protective barrier, it is a sudden failure. Once the water comes over the top, the barrier is no use and provides no protection at all.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2016-07-26 12:06:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yes, I more or less agree with your definition. I think the cliff edge is referring to the sudden increase in damage when the water passes over the barrier. It is all or nothing - like falling off a cliff. You can't fall off a cliff slowly or partially - you either fall or you don't. It's the same way with the barriers - they are either high enough or they are not, there is no real intermediate state.

Terry Richards
France
Local time: 20:45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Do you agree with me about the definition of the cliff edge that I provided? Thanks in advance!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: I prefer "breach" here as "overflowing" is usually a container that's full and overflows (from inside >out), not to do with a tsunami flooding from the outside...
6 days
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