Articles | Volume 30, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-375-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-375-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
19 Sep 2023
Research article |
| 19 Sep 2023
| 19 Sep 2023
How far can the statistical error estimation problem be closed by collocated data?
Air Quality Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Dorval, Quebec, Canada
Rhenish Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Cologne (RIU), Cologne, Germany
Richard Ménard
Air Quality Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Dorval, Quebec, Canada
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Annika Vogel and Hendrik Elbern
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 5583–5605, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-5583-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-5583-2021, 2021
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While atmospheric chemical forecasts rely on uncertain model parameters, their huge dimensions hamper an efficient uncertainty estimation. This study presents a novel approach to efficiently sample these uncertainties by extracting dominant dependencies and correlations. Applying the algorithm to biogenic emissions, their uncertainties can be estimated from a low number of dominant components. This states the capability of an efficient treatment of parameter uncertainties in atmospheric models.
Annika Vogel and Hendrik Elbern
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 4039–4057, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-4039-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-4039-2021, 2021
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Forecasts of biogenic trace gases highly depend on the model setup and input fields. This study identifies sources of related forecast uncertainties for biogenic gases. Exceptionally high differences in both biogenic emissions and pollutant transport in the Po Valley are identified to be caused by the representation of the land surface and boundary layer dynamics. Consequently, changes in the model configuration are shown to induce significantly different local concentrations of biogenic gases.
Annika Vogel, Jörn Ungermann, and Hendrik Elbern
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2017-308, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2017-308, 2017
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The potential for chemical state analysis at tropopause heights was investigated by combining airborne tomographic observations with a chemical data-assimilation system in form of a case study. Related developments include the use of potential vorticity for ozone initialization and flow-dependent horizontal correlations. This setup demonstrated substantial improvements in terms of spatial extend and alignment of atmospheric structures down to filamentary foldings along airmass boundaries.
Annika Vogel and Hendrik Elbern
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 5583–5605, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-5583-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-5583-2021, 2021
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While atmospheric chemical forecasts rely on uncertain model parameters, their huge dimensions hamper an efficient uncertainty estimation. This study presents a novel approach to efficiently sample these uncertainties by extracting dominant dependencies and correlations. Applying the algorithm to biogenic emissions, their uncertainties can be estimated from a low number of dominant components. This states the capability of an efficient treatment of parameter uncertainties in atmospheric models.
Annika Vogel and Hendrik Elbern
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 4039–4057, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-4039-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-4039-2021, 2021
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Forecasts of biogenic trace gases highly depend on the model setup and input fields. This study identifies sources of related forecast uncertainties for biogenic gases. Exceptionally high differences in both biogenic emissions and pollutant transport in the Po Valley are identified to be caused by the representation of the land surface and boundary layer dynamics. Consequently, changes in the model configuration are shown to induce significantly different local concentrations of biogenic gases.
Annika Vogel, Jörn Ungermann, and Hendrik Elbern
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2017-308, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2017-308, 2017
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The potential for chemical state analysis at tropopause heights was investigated by combining airborne tomographic observations with a chemical data-assimilation system in form of a case study. Related developments include the use of potential vorticity for ozone initialization and flow-dependent horizontal correlations. This setup demonstrated substantial improvements in terms of spatial extend and alignment of atmospheric structures down to filamentary foldings along airmass boundaries.
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Geosci. Model Dev., 7, 1451–1465, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-1451-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-1451-2014, 2014
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Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 1769–1800, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-1769-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-1769-2014, 2014
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Subject: Predictability, probabilistic forecasts, data assimilation, inverse problems | Topic: Climate, atmosphere, ocean, hydrology, cryosphere, biosphere | Techniques: Theory
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Jun-Ichi Yano
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 31, 359–380, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-31-359-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-31-359-2024, 2024
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A methodology for directly predicting the time evolution of the assumed parameters for the distribution densities based on the Liouville equation, as proposed earlier, is extended to multidimensional cases and to cases in which the systems are constrained by integrals over a part of the variable range. The extended methodology is tested against a convective energy-cycle system as well as the Lorenz strange attractor.
Marc Bocquet, Pierre J. Vanderbecken, Alban Farchi, Joffrey Dumont Le Brazidec, and Yelva Roustan
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 31, 335–357, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-31-335-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-31-335-2024, 2024
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A novel approach, optimal transport data assimilation (OTDA), is introduced to merge DA and OT concepts. By leveraging OT's displacement interpolation in space, it minimises mislocation errors within DA applied to physical fields, such as water vapour, hydrometeors, and chemical species. Its richness and flexibility are showcased through one- and two-dimensional illustrations.
Man-Yau Chan
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 31, 287–302, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-31-287-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-31-287-2024, 2024
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Forecasts have uncertainties. It is thus essential to reduce these uncertainties. Such reduction requires uncertainty quantification, which often means running costly models multiple times. The cost limits the number of model runs and thus the quantification’s accuracy. This study proposes a technique that utilizes users’ knowledge of forecast uncertainties to improve uncertainty quantification. Tests show that this technique improves uncertainty reduction.
Lev Ostrovsky, Irina Soustova, Yuliya Troitskaya, and Daria Gladskikh
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 31, 219–227, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-31-219-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-31-219-2024, 2024
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The nonstationary kinetic model of turbulence is used to describe the evolution and structure of the upper turbulent layer with the parameters taken from in situ observations. As an example, we use a set of data for three cruises made in different areas of the world ocean. With the given profiles of current shear and buoyancy frequency, the theory yields results that satisfactorily agree with the measurements of the turbulent dissipation rate.
Yung-Yun Cheng, Shu-Chih Yang, Zhe-Hui Lin, and Yung-An Lee
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 30, 289–297, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-289-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-289-2023, 2023
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Eugenia Kalnay, Travis Sluka, Takuma Yoshida, Cheng Da, and Safa Mote
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 30, 217–236, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-217-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-217-2023, 2023
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Antoine Perrot, Olivier Pannekoucke, and Vincent Guidard
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 30, 139–166, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-139-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-139-2023, 2023
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This work is a theoretical contribution that provides equations for understanding uncertainty prediction applied in air quality where multiple chemical species can interact. A simplified minimal test bed is introduced that shows the ability of our equations to reproduce the statistics estimated from an ensemble of forecasts. While the latter estimation is the state of the art, solving equations is numerically less costly, depending on the number of chemical species, and motivates this research.
Pierre Tandeo, Pierre Ailliot, and Florian Sévellec
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 30, 129–137, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-129-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-129-2023, 2023
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Elia Gorokhovsky and Jeffrey L. Anderson
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 30, 37–47, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-37-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-37-2023, 2023
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Chu-Chun Chang and Eugenia Kalnay
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 29, 317–327, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-29-317-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-29-317-2022, 2022
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Andrey A. Popov, Amit N. Subrahmanya, and Adrian Sandu
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 29, 241–253, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-29-241-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-29-241-2022, 2022
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Numerical weather prediction requires the melding of both computational model and data obtained from sensors such as satellites. We focus on one algorithm to accomplish this. We aim to aid its use by additionally supplying it with data obtained from separate models that describe the average behavior of the computational model at any given time. We show that our approach outperforms the standard approaches to this problem.
Sagar K. Tamang, Ardeshir Ebtehaj, Peter Jan van Leeuwen, Gilad Lerman, and Efi Foufoula-Georgiou
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 29, 77–92, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-29-77-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-29-77-2022, 2022
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The outputs from Earth system models are optimally combined with satellite observations to produce accurate forecasts through a process called data assimilation. Many existing data assimilation methodologies have some assumptions regarding the shape of the probability distributions of model output and observations, which results in forecast inaccuracies. In this paper, we test the effectiveness of a newly proposed methodology that relaxes such assumptions about high-dimensional models.
Yumeng Chen, Alberto Carrassi, and Valerio Lucarini
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 28, 633–649, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-633-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-633-2021, 2021
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Zofia Stanley, Ian Grooms, and William Kleiber
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 28, 565–583, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-565-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-565-2021, 2021
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Stephen Jewson, Giuliana Barbato, Paola Mercogliano, Jaroslav Mysiak, and Maximiliano Sassi
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 28, 329–346, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-329-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-329-2021, 2021
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Climate model simulations are uncertain. In some cases this makes it difficult to know how to use them. Significance testing is often used to deal with this issue but has various shortcomings. We describe two alternative ways to manage uncertainty in climate model simulations that avoid these shortcomings. We test them on simulations of future rainfall over Europe and show they produce more accurate projections than either using unadjusted climate model output or statistical testing.
Sagar K. Tamang, Ardeshir Ebtehaj, Peter J. van Leeuwen, Dongmian Zou, and Gilad Lerman
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 28, 295–309, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-295-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-295-2021, 2021
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Data assimilation aims to improve hydrologic and weather forecasts by combining available information from Earth system models and observations. The classical approaches to data assimilation usually proceed with some preconceived assumptions about the shape of their probability distributions. As a result, when such assumptions are invalid, the forecast accuracy suffers. In the proposed methodology, we relax such assumptions and demonstrate improved performance.
Abd AlRahman AlMomani and Erik Bollt
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 28, 153–166, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-153-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-153-2021, 2021
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This paper introduces a tool for data-driven discovery of early warning signs of critical transitions in ice shelves from remote sensing data. Our directed spectral clustering method considers an asymmetric affinity matrix along with the associated directed graph Laplacian. We applied our approach to reprocessing the ice velocity data and remote sensing satellite images of the Larsen C ice shelf.
Shin'ya Nakano
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 28, 93–109, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-93-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-93-2021, 2021
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The ensemble-based variational method is a method for solving nonlinear data assimilation problems by using an ensemble of multiple simulation results. Although this method is derived based on a linear approximation, highly uncertain problems, in which system nonlinearity is significant, can also be solved by applying this method iteratively. This paper reformulated this iterative algorithm to analyze its behavior in high-dimensional nonlinear problems and discuss the convergence.
Olivier Pannekoucke, Richard Ménard, Mohammad El Aabaribaoune, and Matthieu Plu
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 28, 1–22, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-1-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-1-2021, 2021
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Numerical weather prediction involves numerically solving the mathematical equations, which describe the geophysical flow, by transforming them so that they can be computed. Through this transformation, it appears that the equations actually solved by the machine are then a modified version of the original equations, introducing an error that contributes to the model error. This work helps to characterize the covariance of the model error that is due to this modification of the equations.
Pengcheng Yan, Guolin Feng, Wei Hou, and Ping Yang
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 27, 489–500, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-489-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-489-2020, 2020
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A system transiting from one stable state to another has to experience a period. Can we predict the end moment (state) if the process has not been completed? This paper presents a method to solve this problem. This method is based on the quantitative relationship among the parameters, which is used to describe the transition process of the abrupt change. By using the historical data, we extract some parameters for predicting the uncompleted climate transition process.
Reinhold Hess
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 27, 473–487, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-473-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-473-2020, 2020
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Forecasts of ensemble systems are statistically aligned to synoptic observations at DWD in order to provide support for warning decision management. Motivation and design consequences for extreme and rare meteorological events are presented. Especially for probabilities of severe wind gusts global logistic parameterisations are developed that generate robust statistical forecasts for extreme events, while local characteristics are preserved.
Jonathan Demaeyer and Stéphane Vannitsem
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 27, 307–327, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-307-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-307-2020, 2020
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Postprocessing schemes used to correct weather forecasts are no longer efficient when the model generating the forecasts changes. An approach based on response theory to take the change into account without having to recompute the parameters based on past forecasts is presented. It is tested on an analytical model and a simple model of atmospheric variability. We show that this approach is effective and discuss its potential application for an operational environment.
Carlos Osácar, Manuel Membrado, and Amalio Fernández-Pacheco
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 27, 235–237, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-235-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-235-2020, 2020
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We deduce that after a global thermal perturbation, the Earth's
atmosphere would need about a couple of months to come back to equilibrium.
André Düsterhus
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 27, 121–131, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-121-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-121-2020, 2020
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Seasonal prediction of the of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) has been improved in recent years by improving dynamical models and ensemble predictions. One step therein was the so-called sub-sampling, which combines statistical and dynamical predictions. This study generalises this approach and makes it much more accessible. Furthermore, it presents a new verification approach for such predictions.
Courtney Quinn, Terence J. O'Kane, and Vassili Kitsios
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 27, 51–74, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-51-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-51-2020, 2020
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This study presents a novel method for reduced-rank data assimilation of multiscale highly nonlinear systems. Time-varying dynamical properties are used to determine the rank and projection of the system onto a reduced subspace. The variable reduced-rank method is shown to succeed over other fixed-rank methods. This work provides implications for performing strongly coupled data assimilation with a limited number of ensemble members on high-dimensional coupled climate models.
Nina Schuhen
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 27, 35–49, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-35-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-27-35-2020, 2020
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We present a new way to adaptively improve weather forecasts by incorporating last-minute observation information. The recently measured error, together with a statistical model, gives us an indication of the expected future error of wind speed forecasts, which are then adjusted accordingly. This new technique can be especially beneficial for customers in the wind energy industry, where it is important to have reliable short-term forecasts, as well as providers of extreme weather warnings.
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Short summary
Accurate estimation of the error statistics required for data assimilation remains an ongoing challenge, as statistical assumptions are required to solve the estimation problem. This work provides a conceptual view of the statistical error estimation problem in light of the increasing number of available datasets. We found that the total number of required assumptions increases with the number of overlapping datasets, but the relative number of error statistics that can be estimated increases.
Accurate estimation of the error statistics required for data assimilation remains an ongoing...
