title: Estimation of noise parameters in dynamical system identification with Kalman filters.
abstract: A method is proposed for determining dynamical and observational noise parameters in state and parameter identification from time series using Kalman filters. The noise covariances are estimated in a secondary optimization by maximizing the predictive likelihood of the data. The approach is based on internal consistency; for the correct noise parameters, the uncertainty projected by the Kalman filter matches the actual predictive uncertainty. The method is able to disentangle dynamical and observational noise. The algorithm is demonstrated for the linear, extended, and unscented Kalman filters using an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, the noise-driven Lorenz system, and van der Pol oscillator as well as a paleoclimatic ice-core record as examples. The approach is also applicable to the ensemble Kalman filter and can be readily extended to non-Gaussian estimation frameworks such as Gaussian-sum filters and particle filters.
authors.affiliation: College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kwasniok
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003198:Computer Simulation; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio