RL-DAUNCE: Reinforcement Learning-Driven Data Assimilation with Uncertainty-Aware Constrained Ensembles

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Behnoudfar, Pouria, Chen, Nan
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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_version_ 1866918013636182016
author Behnoudfar, Pouria
Chen, Nan
author_facet Behnoudfar, Pouria
Chen, Nan
contents Machine learning has become a powerful tool for enhancing data assimilation. While supervised learning remains the standard method, reinforcement learning (RL) offers unique advantages through its sequential decision-making framework, which naturally fits the iterative nature of data assimilation by dynamically balancing model forecasts with observations. We develop RL-DAUNCE, a new RL-based method that enhances data assimilation with physical constraints through three key aspects. First, RL-DAUNCE inherits the computational efficiency of machine learning while it uniquely structures its agents to mirror ensemble members in conventional data assimilation methods. Second, RL-DAUNCE emphasizes uncertainty quantification by advancing multiple ensemble members, moving beyond simple mean-state optimization. Third, RL-DAUNCE's ensemble-as-agents design facilitates the enforcement of physical constraints during the assimilation process, which is crucial to improving the state estimation and subsequent forecasting. A primal-dual optimization strategy is developed to enforce constraints, which dynamically penalizes the reward function to ensure constraint satisfaction throughout the learning process. Also, state variable bounds are respected by constraining the RL action space. Together, these features ensure physical consistency without sacrificing efficiency. RL-DAUNCE is applied to the Madden-Julian Oscillation, an intermittent atmospheric phenomenon characterized by strongly non-Gaussian features and multiple physical constraints. RL-DAUNCE outperforms the standard ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF), which fails catastrophically due to the violation of physical constraints. Notably, RL-DAUNCE matches the performance of constrained EnKF, particularly in recovering intermittent signals, capturing extreme events, and quantifying uncertainties, while requiring substantially less computational effort.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_05452
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle RL-DAUNCE: Reinforcement Learning-Driven Data Assimilation with Uncertainty-Aware Constrained Ensembles
Behnoudfar, Pouria
Chen, Nan
Machine Learning
Mathematical Physics
Machine learning has become a powerful tool for enhancing data assimilation. While supervised learning remains the standard method, reinforcement learning (RL) offers unique advantages through its sequential decision-making framework, which naturally fits the iterative nature of data assimilation by dynamically balancing model forecasts with observations. We develop RL-DAUNCE, a new RL-based method that enhances data assimilation with physical constraints through three key aspects. First, RL-DAUNCE inherits the computational efficiency of machine learning while it uniquely structures its agents to mirror ensemble members in conventional data assimilation methods. Second, RL-DAUNCE emphasizes uncertainty quantification by advancing multiple ensemble members, moving beyond simple mean-state optimization. Third, RL-DAUNCE's ensemble-as-agents design facilitates the enforcement of physical constraints during the assimilation process, which is crucial to improving the state estimation and subsequent forecasting. A primal-dual optimization strategy is developed to enforce constraints, which dynamically penalizes the reward function to ensure constraint satisfaction throughout the learning process. Also, state variable bounds are respected by constraining the RL action space. Together, these features ensure physical consistency without sacrificing efficiency. RL-DAUNCE is applied to the Madden-Julian Oscillation, an intermittent atmospheric phenomenon characterized by strongly non-Gaussian features and multiple physical constraints. RL-DAUNCE outperforms the standard ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF), which fails catastrophically due to the violation of physical constraints. Notably, RL-DAUNCE matches the performance of constrained EnKF, particularly in recovering intermittent signals, capturing extreme events, and quantifying uncertainties, while requiring substantially less computational effort.
title RL-DAUNCE: Reinforcement Learning-Driven Data Assimilation with Uncertainty-Aware Constrained Ensembles
topic Machine Learning
Mathematical Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.05452