Title: “Using generative AI to predict the ocean interior from the ocean surface”

Speaker: Andre Nogueira Souza (MIT)

Format: Hybrid

Virtual: Zoom link provided upon registration

Andre will present remotely, but attendees are welcome to gather and watch together at the Columbia Engineering Innovation Hub.

*Please note that in-person space is limited.*

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Abstract: Understanding subsurface ocean dynamics is essential for quantifying oceanic heat and mass transport, but direct observations at depth remain sparse due to logistical and technological constraints. In contrast, satellite missions provide rich surface datasets-such as sea surface height, temperature, and salinity-that offer indirect but potentially powerful constraints on the ocean interior. Here, we present a probabilistic framework based on score-based diffusion models to reconstruct three-dimensional subsurface velocity and buoyancy fields, including the energetic ocean eddy field, from surface observations. Using a 15-level primitive equation simulation of an idealized double-gyre system, we evaluate the skill of the model in inferring the mean circulation and the mesoscale variability at depth under varying levels of surface information. We find that the generative model successfully recovers key dynamical structures and provides physically meaningful uncertainty estimates, with predictive skill diminishing systematically as the surface resolution decreases or the inference depth increases. These results demonstrate the potential of generative approaches for ocean state estimation and uncertainty quantification, particularly in regimes where traditional deterministic methods are underconstrained or ill-posed.

Bio: Andre N. Souza is a Research Scientist in MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Interdisciplinary Mathematics from the University of Michigan. His work bridges generative AI and uncertainty quantification to model complex geophysical systems, developing score-based diffusion frameworks for climate and ocean dynamics.

Time: 12:00 pm EST

Free!

Registration