Improved Neutral Density Predictions Through Machine Learning Enabled Exospheric Temperature Model

Abstract The community has leveraged satellite accelerometer data sets in previous years to estimate neutral mass density and exospheric temperatures. We utilize derived temperature data and optimize a nonlinear machine‐learned (ML) regression model to improve upon the performance of the linear EXos...

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Main Authors: Richard J. Licata, Piyush M. Mehta, Daniel R. Weimer, W. Kent Tobiska
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-12-01
Series:Space Weather
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2021SW002918
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author Richard J. Licata
Piyush M. Mehta
Daniel R. Weimer
W. Kent Tobiska
author_facet Richard J. Licata
Piyush M. Mehta
Daniel R. Weimer
W. Kent Tobiska
author_sort Richard J. Licata
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The community has leveraged satellite accelerometer data sets in previous years to estimate neutral mass density and exospheric temperatures. We utilize derived temperature data and optimize a nonlinear machine‐learned (ML) regression model to improve upon the performance of the linear EXospheric TEMPeratures on a PoLyhedrAl gRid (EXTEMPLAR) model. The newly developed EXTEMPLAR‐ML model allows for exospheric temperature predictions at any location with one model and provides performance improvements over its predecessor. We achieve reductions in mean absolute error of 2 K on an independent test set while providing similar error standard deviation values. Comparing the performance of both EXTEMPLAR models and the Naval Research Laboratory Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter radar Extended model (NRLMSISE‐00) across different solar and geomagnetic activity levels shows that EXTEMPLAR‐ML has the lowest mean absolute error across 80% of conditions tested. A study for spatial errors demonstrated that at all grid locations, EXTEMPLAR‐ML has the lowest mean absolute error for over 60% of the polyhedral grid cells on the test set. Like EXTEMPLAR, our model's outputs can be utilized by NRLMSISE‐00 (exclusively) to more closely match satellite accelerometer‐derived densities. We conducted 10 case studies where we compare the accelerometer‐derived temperature and density estimates from four satellites to NRLMSISE‐00, EXTEMPLAR, and EXTEMPALR‐ML during major storm periods. These comparisons show that EXTEMPLAR‐ML generally has the best performance of the three models during storms. We use principal component analysis on EXTEMPLAR‐ML outputs to verify the physical response of the model to its drivers.
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issn 1542-7390
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spelling doaj-art-c21b2920816045c1bdd646ff42702ff92025-01-14T16:27:23ZengWileySpace Weather1542-73902021-12-011912n/an/a10.1029/2021SW002918Improved Neutral Density Predictions Through Machine Learning Enabled Exospheric Temperature ModelRichard J. Licata0Piyush M. Mehta1Daniel R. Weimer2W. Kent Tobiska3Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Enginering West Virginia University Morgantown WV USADepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Enginering West Virginia University Morgantown WV USACenter for Space Science and Engineering Research Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA USASpace Environment Technologies Pacific Palisades CA USAAbstract The community has leveraged satellite accelerometer data sets in previous years to estimate neutral mass density and exospheric temperatures. We utilize derived temperature data and optimize a nonlinear machine‐learned (ML) regression model to improve upon the performance of the linear EXospheric TEMPeratures on a PoLyhedrAl gRid (EXTEMPLAR) model. The newly developed EXTEMPLAR‐ML model allows for exospheric temperature predictions at any location with one model and provides performance improvements over its predecessor. We achieve reductions in mean absolute error of 2 K on an independent test set while providing similar error standard deviation values. Comparing the performance of both EXTEMPLAR models and the Naval Research Laboratory Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter radar Extended model (NRLMSISE‐00) across different solar and geomagnetic activity levels shows that EXTEMPLAR‐ML has the lowest mean absolute error across 80% of conditions tested. A study for spatial errors demonstrated that at all grid locations, EXTEMPLAR‐ML has the lowest mean absolute error for over 60% of the polyhedral grid cells on the test set. Like EXTEMPLAR, our model's outputs can be utilized by NRLMSISE‐00 (exclusively) to more closely match satellite accelerometer‐derived densities. We conducted 10 case studies where we compare the accelerometer‐derived temperature and density estimates from four satellites to NRLMSISE‐00, EXTEMPLAR, and EXTEMPALR‐ML during major storm periods. These comparisons show that EXTEMPLAR‐ML generally has the best performance of the three models during storms. We use principal component analysis on EXTEMPLAR‐ML outputs to verify the physical response of the model to its drivers.https://doi.org/10.1029/2021SW002918machine learningmodel developmentexospheric temperaturethermosphere
spellingShingle Richard J. Licata
Piyush M. Mehta
Daniel R. Weimer
W. Kent Tobiska
Improved Neutral Density Predictions Through Machine Learning Enabled Exospheric Temperature Model
Space Weather
machine learning
model development
exospheric temperature
thermosphere
title Improved Neutral Density Predictions Through Machine Learning Enabled Exospheric Temperature Model
title_full Improved Neutral Density Predictions Through Machine Learning Enabled Exospheric Temperature Model
title_fullStr Improved Neutral Density Predictions Through Machine Learning Enabled Exospheric Temperature Model
title_full_unstemmed Improved Neutral Density Predictions Through Machine Learning Enabled Exospheric Temperature Model
title_short Improved Neutral Density Predictions Through Machine Learning Enabled Exospheric Temperature Model
title_sort improved neutral density predictions through machine learning enabled exospheric temperature model
topic machine learning
model development
exospheric temperature
thermosphere
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2021SW002918
work_keys_str_mv AT richardjlicata improvedneutraldensitypredictionsthroughmachinelearningenabledexospherictemperaturemodel
AT piyushmmehta improvedneutraldensitypredictionsthroughmachinelearningenabledexospherictemperaturemodel
AT danielrweimer improvedneutraldensitypredictionsthroughmachinelearningenabledexospherictemperaturemodel
AT wkenttobiska improvedneutraldensitypredictionsthroughmachinelearningenabledexospherictemperaturemodel