LIBRARY

Michigan State
University

 

1‘

PLACE IN RETURN BOX to remove this checkout from your record.
TO AVOID FINES return on or before date due.

 

DATE DUE DATE DUE DATE DUE

J
I-L__1
__JC:JL__J
|
J! |[ J

MSU I. An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution
cmmni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MANUAL AND AUTOMATED MAPPING
OF
CONTINUOUS STATISTICAL SURFACES:

AN EMPIRICAL EVALUATION

BY
Gebeyehu Mulugeta

A DISSERTATION
Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Department of Geography

1991

ABSTRACT

MANUAL AND AUTOMATED MAPPING
OF
CONTINUOUS STATISTICAL SURFACES:

AN EMPIRICAL EVALUATION

BY
Gebeyehu Mulugeta

Results of studies of automated mapping of continuous
statistical surfaces from sample data suggest that there is
no one best method for mapping even a single class of
phenomena. One also finds that manually-produced maps are
often used as the standard against which computer-produced
maps are compared in such studies. There is a lack of
research, except for few studies in geology, comparing
manual and automated contouring. No systematic attempt has
been made to document discrepancies (as judged by experts or
non-experts) between manual and automated interpolation. Nor
is there any attempt to compare expert and non-expert
interpolation.

The present study surveys opinions about manual and
computer interpolation; compares the performances of
individuals, groups (experts versus non-experts), and
methods (manual versus computer) in spatial interpolation:
and documents and compares expert and non-expert evaluations

of manually- and computer-drawn maps. Three groups of