On Some Limitations of Current Machine Learning Weather Prediction Models
Description
🧠Abstract:
Machine Learning (ML) is increasingly influential in weather and climate prediction. Recent advances have led to fully data-driven ML models that often claim to outperform traditional physics-based systems. This episode evaluates forecasts from three leading ML models—Pangu-Weather, FourCastNet, and GraphCast—focusing on their accuracy and physical realism.
📌 Bullet points summary:
ML models like Pangu-Weather, FourCastNet, and GraphCast fail to capture sub-synoptic and mesoscale phenomena with adequate fidelity, producing forecasts that become overly smooth over time.
Their energy spectra diverge significantly from traditional models and reanalysis data, leading to poor representation of features below 300–400 km scales.
They lack accurate representation of key physical balances in the atmosphere, such as geostrophic wind balance and the divergent-rotational wind ratio, affecting the realism of weather diagnostics.
Though computationally efficient and strong in certain metrics, these models should be seen as forecast refiners rather than full-fledged atmospheric simulators or "digital twins," as they still rely heavily on traditional models for training and input.
💡 The Big Idea:
While ML models mark a significant advancement, their current limitations highlight the indispensable role of physical principles and traditional modeling in weather prediction.
📖 Citation:
Bonavita, Massimo. "On some limitations of current machine learning weather prediction models." Geophysical Research Letters 51.12 (2024): e2023GL107377. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL107377
United States
