Data-driven stochastic spectral modeling for coarsening of the two-dimensional Euler equations on the sphere

A resolution-independent data-driven subgrid-scale model in coarsened fluid descriptions is proposed. The method enables the inclusion of high-fidelity data into the coarsened flow model, thereby enabling accurate simulations also with the coarser representation. The small-scale model is introduced at the level of the Fourier coefficients of the coarsened numerical solution. It is designed to reproduce the kinetic energy spectra observed in high-fidelity data of the same system. The approach is based on a control feedback term reminiscent of continuous data assimilation implemented using nudging (Newtonian relaxation). The method relies solely on the availability of high-fidelity data from a statistically steady state. No assumptions are made regarding the adopted discretization method or the selected coarser resolution. The performance of the method is assessed for the two-dimensional Euler equations on the sphere for coarsening factors of 8 and 16 times. Applying the method at these significantly coarser resolutions yields good results for the mean and variance of the Fourier coefficients and leads to improvements in the empirical probability density functions of the attained vorticity values. Stable and accurate large-scale dynamics can be simulated over long integration times and are illustrated by capturing long-time vortex trajectories.