Comparative analysis of methods of the digital terrain model interpolation (case study of the ‟Nizhnaya Kama” national park)

Spatial interpolation methods for generation of a digital terrain model were compared for the forested areas of the "Nizhnyaya Kama” National Park (Republic of Tatarstan, Russia). The available topographic maps of the park territory at a scale of 1 : 100 000 were used. The interpolation methods, namely the inverse distance weighting with different power parameters p (IDW1, IDW2, IDW3, IDW4), ordinary kriging with Matern (OKMat) and spherical (OKSph) variogram models, multilevel b-splines (MBS) and thin plate splines (TPS), were evaluated in terms of vertical accuracy and hydrological precision. The hydrological precision was calculated based on the distance of the channel network identified on the basis of interpolated terrain models from their actual location. The results of the assessment based on the nodes of isolines and characteristic points of the terrain showed that the method of inverse weighted distances produces the greatest error when creating a digital elevation model. Geostatistical and spline methods had similar accuracies. According to the precision of the channel network positioning, all methods were arranged in the following order: IDW1 - IDW3 - MBS -IDW4 - IDW2 - OKSph - TPS - OKMat. The general conclusion is that TPS and ordinary kriging methods allow obtaining the most realistic representation of relief for the tasks requiring a hydrologically correct terrain model. In particular, the ordinary kriging method with the Matern variogram model was the most correct interpolator for the surveyed territory of the "Nizhnyaya Kama” National Park.

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