A diffusion-based spatio-temporal extension of Gaussian Matérn fields

Gaussian random fields with Matérn covariance functions are popular models in spatial statistics and machine learning. In this work, we develop a spatio-temporal extension of the Gaussian Matérn fields formulated as solutions to a stochastic partial differential equation. The spatially stationary su...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Lindgren, Finn|||0000-0002-5833-2011, Bakka, Haakon|||0000-0001-8272-865X, Bolin, David|||0000-0003-2361-5465, Krainski, Elias|||0000-0002-7063-2615, Rue, Håvard|||0000-0002-0222-1881
Format: article
Publication Date:2024
Country:España
Institution:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:292329
Online Access:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/292329
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.57645/20.8080.02.13
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Stochastic partial differential equations
Diffusion
Gaussian fields
Non-separable space-time models
INLA
Finite element methods
Description
Summary:Gaussian random fields with Matérn covariance functions are popular models in spatial statistics and machine learning. In this work, we develop a spatio-temporal extension of the Gaussian Matérn fields formulated as solutions to a stochastic partial differential equation. The spatially stationary subset of the models have marginal spatial Matérn covariances, and the model also extends to Whittle-Matérn fields on curved manifolds, and to more general non-stationary fields. In addition to the parameters of the spatial dependence (variance, smoothness, and practical correlation range) it additionally has parameters controlling the practical correlation range in time, the smoothness in time, and the type of non-separability of the spatio-temporal covariance. Through the separability parameter, the model also allows for separable covariance functions. We provide a sparse representation based on a finite element approximation, that is well suited for statistical inference and which is implemented in the R-INLA software. The flexibility of the model is illustrated in an application to spatio-temporal modeling of global temperature data.