Environmental Sustainability in Practice

Spatial Interpolation

Spatial interpolation involves estimating the values of properties at unsampled locations based on the known values of neighbouring entities. Due to time and monetary constraints, it would not be feasible to acquire values for every single location on the Earth’s surface. In this instance, spatial interpolation is useful in determining values between observed data points. Common applications of spatial interpolation include elevation, temperature measurements, soil moisture, humidity, or any other surface property at a given point on the Earth’s surface.

In a study by Fast, Jollineau, and Reynolds (2013), spatial interpolation was used to estimate the value of soil moisture at unsampled field locations based on measurements taken from sampled locations (the red box in the figure below highlights some areas in which soil moisture measurements were taken) at the Stratus Vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. As demonstrated in the figure below, from this interpolation, the authors were able to determine and map the spatial variability of soil moisture for the entire vineyard. This information can then be used by vineyard owners for improved management and crop yield.  

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