QESM: A Leap Towards Quantum-Enhanced ML Emulation Framework for Earth and Climate Modeling

Abstract: Current climate models often struggle with accuracy because they lack sufficient resolution, a limitation caused by computational constraints. This reduces the precision of weather forecasts and long-term climate predictions. To address this issue, we explored the use of quantum computing to enhance traditional ML models. We replaced conventional models like Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), Multilayer Perceptrons (MLP), and Encoder-Decoder frameworks with their quantum versions: Quantum Convolutional Neural Networks (QCNN), Quantum Multilayer Perceptrons (QMLP), and Quantum Encoder-Decoders (QED). These quantum models proved to be more accurate in predicting climate-related outcomes compared to their classical counterparts. Using the ClimSim dataset, a large collection of climate data created specifically for ML-based climate prediction, we trained and tested these quantum models. Individually, the quantum models performed better, but their performance was further improved when we combined them using a meta-ensemble approach, which merged the strengths of each model to achieve the highest accuracy overall. This study demonstrates that quantum machine learning can significantly improve the resolution and accuracy of climate simulations. The results offer new possibilities for better predicting climate trends and weather events, which could have important implications for both scientific understanding and policy-making in the face of global climate challenges.