Interpolation is one of the most important methods of spatial analysis. Many methods of spatial interpolation exist, all of them based to some extent on the principle that phenomena vary smoothly over the Earth’s surface and Tobler’s First Law of Geography. Essentially, interpolation methods are useful for estimating values from a limited number of sample points for locations where no samples have been taken. In this lesson, we will examine several interpolation methods.
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to
Lesson 6 is one week in length. (See the Calendar in Canvas for specific due dates.) The following items must be completed by the end of the week. You may find it useful to print this page out first so that you can follow along with the directions.
Step | Activity | Access/Directions |
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1 | Work through Lesson 6 | You are in the Lesson 6 online content now and are on the overview page. |
2 | Reading Assignment | The reading this week is again quite detailed and demanding and, again, I would recommend starting early. You need to read the following sections in Chapters 6 and 7 in the course text:
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3 | Weekly Assignment | Exploring different interpolation methods in ArcGIS using the Geostatistical Wizard |
4 | Term Project | A revised (final) project proposal is due this week. This will commit you to some targets in your project and will be used as a basis for assessment of how well you have done. |
5 | Lesson 6 Deliverables |
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Please use the 'Week 6 lesson and project discussion' to ask for clarification on any of these concepts and ideas. Hopefully, some of your classmates will be able to help with answering your questions, and I will also provide further commentary where appropriate.