LAB 5 Surface Interpolation

The use of interpolation for water quality in Tampa Bay is actually a excellent use of this kind of data. Interpolation is the creation of new data based one actual data points. For this particular scenario four different interpolation techniques were used on this data IDW, Thiessen, and Spline( Regularized and Tension). Each of the methods are unique in their approach in creating a layer suing the given points. For instance Spline creates data based off a line that curves through the points and uses that information to create the rest of the data with the regularized creating a smoother surfaces and the tension creating stiffer layer that are more constrained with the sample data (as seen above). While Thiessen creates polygons based on their proximity to the closest point and IDW runs off the assumption that proximity means there more things in common which is similar to dispersion.