Evolution Prediction Model of Equatorial Plasma Bubbles Based on SimVP
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摘要: 赤道等离子体泡是日落后低纬电离层中形成的低电子密度空腔结构, 其演化过程会导致无线电信号闪烁与衰减. 对赤道等离子体泡的演化进行精准预测, 在空间天气研究及卫星通信领域意义重大. 提出一个基于SimVP(Simpler yet Better Video Prediction)框架的EPB演化预测模型, 通过曲靖站历史气辉观测图像学习EPB时空演化特征, 实现对未来演化的精准预测, 通过系统实验分析了关键参数对模型性能的影响. 结果表明, 时间分辨率设为3 min, 采用6 帧输入图和6 帧输出图的架构时模型性能最优(结构相似度为0.989, 峰值信噪比为34.704). 实验显示, EPB空间形态复杂度对预测精度影响显著, 而光污染干扰相对有限. 提出的模型具有较好的跨台站应用鲁棒性, 该模型不仅为EPB演化提供了数据驱动的高效预测工具, 还可为受污染气辉观测数据的修复提供技术支撑.Abstract: Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs) are large-scale depletion structures characterized by significantly reduced electron density, which frequently emerge in the low-latitude ionosphere during post-sunset hours. These dynamic plasma irregularities play a crucial role in space weather phenomena, as their evolution can induce severe amplitude and phase scintillations in radio signals, leading to disruptions in satellite communications, global navigation systems, and radar operations. Given their substantial impact on technological systems, accurate prediction of EPB evolution has become a critical challenge in both space physics research and operational space weather forecasting.. To address this challenge, this study introduces a novel data-driven approach for EPB evolution prediction by leveraging the SimVP (Simpler yet Better Video Prediction) framework, an advanced deep learning architecture designed for spatiotemporal sequence forecasting. The proposed model learns the complex nonlinear dynamics of EPB structures from historical airglow image sequences, capturing both their morphological transformations and drift patterns. Through extensive experimentation, we systematically evaluate the influence of key parameters—including time resolution, input/output sequence length, and environmental noise—on prediction performance. Our findings demonstrate that an optimal configuration with a 3 min temporal resolution and a 6-frame input/output structure achieves superior predictive accuracy, as evidenced by high Structural Similarity (SSIM=0.989) and Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR=34.704) metrics. Further analysis reveals that the spatial complexity of EPB structures, such as bifurcation events and irregular boundary deformations, significantly affects prediction fidelity, whereas the impact of light pollution—a common issue in ground-based airglow observations—is comparatively minor. The model proposed in this paper demonstrates robust cross-station applicability. Beyond forecasting, the model also exhibits potential for reconstructing corrupted airglow data, offering a computational solution to enhance observational datasets affected by atmospheric or instrumental noise. This work not only establishes a robust, machine learning-based tool for EPB evolution analysis but also contributes to the broader development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in space weather modeling and ionospheric research.
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Key words:
- Equatorial Plasma Bubble /
- Video prediction /
- SimVP /
- Spatiotemporal dependency
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图 2 不同SimVP模型结构[14]
Figure 2. Different SimVP model structures
表 1 实验变量设计
Table 1. Design of experimental variables
实验维度 研究目标 参数设置 时间分辨率($ t $)/ min 最优观测时间间隔 $ t $∈ {3, 3.8, 5.18, 8.14} 输入帧长度($ {{N}}_{\text{pre}} $)/ frame 前序观测时长的影响 $ {{N}}_{\text{pre}} $∈ {4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14} 输出帧长度($ {{N}}_{\text{aft}} $)/ frame 预测时间跨度的极限 $ {{N}}_{\text{aft}} $∈ {4, 6, 8,10} 表 2 不同时间分辨率的模型输入输出参数设置
Table 2. Configuration of input/output parameters for models with different temporal resolutions
模型名称 $ {{N}}_{\text{pre}} $ $ {{N}}_{\text{aft}} $ $ t $ /min $ {{(T}}_{\text{1}}-{{T}}_{\text{0}} $)/min $ {{(T}}_{\text{2}}-{{T}}_{\text{1}} $)/min Model 4×4 4 4 8.14 24.42 32.56 Model 6×6 6 6 5.18 25.9 31.08 Model 8×8 8 8 3.8 26.6 30.4 Model 10×10 10 10 3 27 30 表 3 不同输出时间尺度的模型参数设置
Table 3. Parameter configuration for models with varying output time scales
模型名称 $ {{N}}_{\text{pre}} $ $ {{N}}_{\text{aft}} $ $ t $/min $ {{(T}}_{\text{1}}-{{T}}_{\text{0}} $)/min $ {{(T}}_{2}-{{T}}_{1} $)/min Model 6×4 6 4 3 15 12 Model 6×6 6 6 15 18 Model 6×8 6 8 15 24 Model 6×10 6 10 15 30 表 4 不同时间尺度输入的模型参数设置
Table 4. Parameter configuration for models with varying input time scales
模型名称 $ {{N}}_{\text{pre}} $ $ {{N}}_{\text{aft}} $ $ t $/min $ ({{T}}_{\text{1}}-{{T}}_{\text{0}} $)/min $ {{(T}}_{2}-{{T}}_{1} $)/min Model 4×6 4 6
39 18 Model 6×6 6 6 15 18 Model 8×6 8 6 21 18 Model 10×6 10 6 27 18 Model 12×6 12 6 33 18 Model 14×6 14 6 39 18 表 5 EPB演化预测模型训练中使用的部分超参数
Table 5. Some hyperparameters used in the training of the EPB evolution prediction model
Parameter Value Loss function MSE $ {{N}}_{\text{pre}} $ 6 $ {{N}}_{\text{aft}} $ 6 Epoch 1000 Scheduler 0.001 N_S 4 N_T 8 Hid_S 64 Hid_T 256 Batchsize 1 表 6 不同时间分辨率模型的性能比较
Table 6. Performance comparison of models with different temporal resolutions
预测类型 MSE MAE SSIM PSNR Model 4×4 1586.788 17551.615 0.978 29.843 Model 6×6 1477.651 16772.386 0.976 30.038 Model 8×8 1152.504 14463.274 0.977 31.518 Model 10×10 1120.877 13889.469 0.982 31.860 -
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钟佳 男, 中国科学院国家空间科学中心, 高级工程师, 主要研究方向为空间天气数据挖掘与机器学习建模、科学可视化技术
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