Vulnerability assessments of global liner shipping network based on extended coupled map lattices

Liner shipping has become a vital part of global trade, and understanding its vulnerability characteristics is essential to ensure its stable transport. In this paper, we present the extended Coupled Map Lattice (CML) model to analyze the vulnerability and cascading failures in liner shipping networks (LSN). The model considers the dynamic interactions between nodes from the perspectives of network topology and transport dynamics, and proposes a new allocation mechanism for load transfer after node failures. The paper investigates through simulation studies the effects of various factors such as node capacity, external interference, and coupling strength on network vulnerability. The results indicate that increasing node capacity can mitigate cascading failures but may lead to increased local flow loss. The study emphasizes that the propagation of disturbances is influenced by network structure and transport relationships, and nodes with the highest topological characteristics may not necessarily result in the most severe cascading failures. Furthermore, simulations suggest that certain nodes, even when subjected to minor disturbances, can cause widespread network failures, highlighting the importance of understanding the dynamic propagation of interruptions in maritime liner shipping networks.