No Arabic abstract
Variational data assimilation optimizes for an initial state of a dynamical system such that its evolution fits observational data. The physical model can subsequently be evolved into the future to make predictions. This principle is a cornerstone of large scale forecasting applications such as numerical weather prediction. As such, it is implemented in current operational systems of weather forecasting agencies across the globe. However, finding a good initial state poses a difficult optimization problem in part due to the non-invertible relationship between physical states and their corresponding observations. We learn a mapping from observational data to physical states and show how it can be used to improve optimizability. We employ this mapping in two ways: to better initialize the non-convex optimization problem, and to reformulate the objective function in better behaved physics space instead of observation space. Our experimental results for the Lorenz96 model and a two-dimensional turbulent fluid flow demonstrate that this procedure significantly improves forecast quality for chaotic systems.
The design of a reward function often poses a major practical challenge to real-world applications of reinforcement learning. Approaches such as inverse reinforcement learning attempt to overcome this challenge, but require expert demonstrations, which can be difficult or expensive to obtain in practice. We propose variational inverse control with events (VICE), which generalizes inverse reinforcement learning methods to cases where full demonstrations are not needed, such as when only samples of desired goal states are available. Our method is grounded in an alternative perspective on control and reinforcement learning, where an agents goal is to maximize the probability that one or more events will happen at some point in the future, rather than maximizing cumulative rewards. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods on continuous control tasks, with a focus on high-dimensional observations like images where rewards are hard or even impossible to specify.
In recent years, the prosperity of deep learning has revolutionized the Artificial Neural Networks. However, the dependence of gradients and the offline training mechanism in the learning algorithms prevents the ANN for further improvement. In this study, a gradient-free training framework based on data assimilation is proposed to avoid the calculation of gradients. In data assimilation algorithms, the error covariance between the forecasts and observations is used to optimize the parameters. Feedforward Neural Networks (FNNs) are trained by gradient decent, data assimilation algorithms (Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) and Ensemble Smoother with Multiple Data Assimilation (ESMDA)), respectively. ESMDA trains FNN with pre-defined iterations by updating the parameters using all the available observations which can be regard as offline learning. EnKF optimize FNN when new observation available by updating parameters which can be regard as online learning. Two synthetic cases with the regression of a Sine Function and a Mexican Hat function are assumed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed framework. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R2) are used as criteria to assess the performance of different methods. The results show that the proposed training framework performed better than the gradient decent method. The proposed framework provides alternatives for online/offline training the existing ANNs (e.g., Convolutional Neural Networks, Recurrent Neural Networks) without the dependence of gradients.
A Martian semiannual oscillation (SAO), similar to that in the Earths tropical stratosphere, is evident in the Mars Analysis Correction Data Assimilation reanalysis dataset (MACDA) version 1.0, not only in the tropics, but also extending to higher latitudes. Unlike on Earth, the Martian SAO is found not always to reverse its zonal wind direction, but only manifests itself as a deceleration of the dominant wind at certain pressure levels and latitudes. Singular System Analysis (SSA) is further applied on the zonal-mean zonal wind in different latitude bands to reveal the characteristics of SAO phenomena at different latitudes. The second pair of principal components (PCs) is usually dominated by a SAO signal, though the SAO signal can be strong enough to manifest itself also in the first pair of PCs. An analysis of terms in the Transformed Eulerian Mean equation (TEM) is applied in the tropics to further elucidate the forcing processes driving the tendency of the zonal-mean zonal wind. The zonal-mean meridional advection is found to correlate strongly with the observed oscillations of zonal-mean zonal wind, and supplies the majority of the westward (retrograde) forcing in the SAO cycle. The forcing due to various non-zonal waves supplies forcing to the zonal-mean zonal wind that is nearly the opposite of the forcing due to meridional advection above ~3 Pa altitude, but it also partly supports the SAO between 40 Pa and 3 Pa. Some distinctive features occurring during the period of the Mars year (MY) 25 global-scale dust storm (GDS) are also notable in our diagnostic results with substantially stronger values of eastward and westward momentum in the second half of MY 25 and stronger forcing due to vertical advection, transient waves and thermal tides.
A simplified model of natural convection, similar to the Lorenz (1963) system, is compared to computational fluid dynamics simulations in order to test data assimilation methods and better understand the dynamics of convection. The thermosyphon is represented by a long time flow simulation, which serves as a reference truth. Forecasts are then made using the Lorenz-like model and synchronized to noisy and limited observations of the truth using data assimilation. The resulting analysis is observed to infer dynamics absent from the model when using short assimilation windows. Furthermore, chaotic flow reversal occurrence and residency times in each rotational state are forecast using analysis data. Flow reversals have been successfully forecast in the related Lorenz system, as part of a perfect model experiment, but never in the presence of significant model error or unobserved variables. Finally, we provide new details concerning the fluid dynamical processes present in the thermosyphon during these flow reversals.
Relevant comprehension of flood hazards has emerged as a crucial necessity, especially as the severity and the occurrence of flood events intensify with climate changes. Flood simulation and forecast capability have been greatly improved thanks to advances in data assimilation. This approach combines in-situ gauge measurements with hydrodynamic models, aiming to correct the hydraulic states and reduce the uncertainties in the model parameters, e.g., friction coefficients, inflow discharge. These methods depend strongly on the availability and quality of observations, thus requiring other data sources to improve the flood simulation and forecast quality. Sentinel-1 images collected during a flood event were used to classify an observed scene into dry and wet areas. The study area concerns the Garonne Marmandaise catchment, and focuses on recent flood event in January-February 2021. In this paper, seven experiments are carried out, two in free run modes (FR1 and FR2) and five in data assimilation modes (DA1 to DA5). A model-observation bias was diagnosed and corrected over the beginning of the flood event. Quantitative assessments are carried out involving 1D metrics at Vigicrue observing stations and 2D metrics with respect to the Sentinel-1 derived flood extent maps. They demonstrate improvements on flood extent representation thanks to the data assimilation and bias correction.