A new method for predicting precipitation δ ¹⁸ O distribution based on deep learning and spatio-temporal clustering

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Predicting precipitation δ18O accurately is crucial for understanding water cycles, paleoclimates, and hydrological applications. Yet, forecasting its spatio-temporal distribution remains challenging due to complex climate interactions and extreme events. We developed a method combining spatio-temporal clustering and deep learning neural networks to improve multi-site, multi-year precipitation δ18O predictions. Using a comprehensive dataset from 33 German sites (1978-2012), our model considers precipitation δ18O and its controlling factors, including precipitation and temperature distribution. We applied the K-means++ method for classification and divided data into training and prediction sets. The CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) model extracted spatial features, while the Bi-LSTM (Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory) model focused on temporal features. Spatio-temporal clustering using K-means++ improved forecast accuracy and reduced errors. This study highlights the potential of deep learning and clustering techniques for forecasting complex spatio-temporal data and offers insights for future research on isotope distributions.