ABSTRACT
Spatial interpolation, or smoothing technique, is a method used for estimating an unknown spatial value using information of known values observed at a finite number of sample locations within the study area. It is applied in many instances to help improve the understanding of spatial or temporal phenomena by estimating unknown values at specific locations, or by generating a continuous surface that covers an entire study area. Spatial interpolation is considered to be one of the most fundamental spatial analytical operations, as it has found applications in a wide variety of research fields, including climatology, geostatistics, geomorphology, oceanography, and environmental study. A variety of spatial interpolation methods exist, each of which provides a good prediction under different estimation criteria. In recent years, these methods have become an integral part of geographic information systems (GIS) and other spatial analytical software.
