Comparison between Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) and Kriging

In general, ground survey techniques provide the most accurate data and sampling for Digital Terrain Model (DTM) generation. The main limitations of these methods however, is that they are only practical and economical to implement over relatively small areas of limited areal extent. The choice of method and its parameters can be critical if one is to avoid misleading results. Variogram functions have, generally, been used for prior analysis of data sets during interpolation by geostatistical analysis in Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The interpolation methods are being effectively used as tools to predict and estimate values for unknown points by using points with known values (sample points). In this paper, two methods are to be compared, Namely IDW and kriging. From the results obtained, kriging method is found to be more accurate then the IDW interpolation method.