M. Ragwitz et H. Kantz, Detecting non-linear structure and predicting turbulent gusts in surface wind velocities, EUROPH LETT, 51(6), 2000, pp. 595-601
We present a new approach, based on a locally low-dimensional prediction sc
heme, which was originally developed for deterministic chaotic signals, to
detect the deterministic structure of local surface wind velocities. By exp
loiting properties of the signal which mimic the deterministic structure cr
eated by non-linear coherent effects of a turbulent fluid and by resolving
the strong inherent non-stationarity as a sequence of different dynamical r
egimes, short time predictions of future wind velocities can be performed.
Although on average no reduction of the prediction error can be achieved us
ing a non-linear model instead of a linear stochastic one, intermittent gus
ts can be predicted with significantly higher accuracy. An asymmetry in the
predictability is observed, which suggests that an increase of the velocit
y is rather deterministic, whereas the subsequent decrease is dominated by
a stochastic behaviour.