ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT

GRIDDING METHODS USING

SURFER
Michigan
Technological University
presentation by
Fehmi Kamcili
February 10, 20

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer
Michigan
Technologic
al
University

Fig.: Shaded Relief and Contour map

presentation by
Fehmi Kamcili
February 10,
2001

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7
Table of content
Introduction
Grid Files
Grid Methods
1. Inverse Distance to a Power;
2. Kriging;
3. Minimum Curvature;
4. Modified Shepards Method;
5. Natural Neighbor;
6. Nearest Neighbor;
7. Polynomial Regression;
8. Radial Basis Function;
9. Triangulation w/ linear Interpolation
Best Results
Conclusion

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7
Introduction
Surfer 7; Feb. 2000
Surface mapping
system
Golden Software, Inc.
Differences in
created grid-files
visualized by
Fig.: Wireframe and Contour Map
overlaying wireframe
Vernon/Rosebuch oilfields in Isabella
county, Michigan
and contour
maps

with 245 well Data-Points (Lat-Long of Top Dundee)

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7
Grid Files

Fig.: Contour and Post Map

gridding by specifing
source file
-Spreadsheets
(Excel)
-manually in Surfer
(Worksheet)
gridding method
accuracy of grid
faults and breaklines
creates file.grd

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7
Grid Methods

Fig.: Wireframe Map

Inv. Distance to
power
Kriging
Minimum curvature
Modified shepards
Natural neighbor
Nearest neighbor
Polynomial regression
Radial basis function
Triangulation w/
linear interpolation

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7
Fig.: Power:
0.00001

-2 9 0 5 .1 9 3 3
-2 9 0 5 .1 9 3 3
-2 9 0 5 .1 9 3 3
-2 9 0 5 .1 9 3 3
-2 9 0 5 .1 9 3 4
-2 9 0 5 .1 9 3 4
-2 9 0 5 .1 9 3 4
-2 9 0 5 .1 9 3 4

-2 9 0 5 .1 9 3 4
-2 9 0 5 .1 9 3 5
-2 9 0 5 .1 9 3 5
-2 9 0 5 .1 9 3 5
-2 9 0 5 .1 9 3 5
-2 9 0 5 .1 9 3 5
-2 9 0 5 .1 9 3 6

-2 8 6 0
-2 8 7 0
-2 8 8 0
-2 8 9 0
-2 9 0 0
-2 9 1 0
-2 9 2 0
-2 9 3 0
-2 9 4 0
-2 9 5 0
-2 9 6 0
-2 9 7 0

Fig.: Power: 2

Inverse Distance to a
Power
weighting average
interpolator
Power parameter
between 1E-38 & 38
0 = planar surface;
great weighting
power = less effect
on points far from
the grid node during
interpolation

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7
Fig.:
Power: 8

-2 8 6 0
-2 8 7 0
-2 8 8 0
-2 8 9 0
-2 9 0 0
-2 9 1 0
-2 9 2 0
-2 9 3 0
-2 9 4 0
-2 9 5 0
-2 9 6 0
-2 9 7 0
-2 9 8 0

-2 8 7 5
-2 8 8 0
-2 8 8 5
-2 8 9 0
-2 8 9 5
-2 9 0 0
-2 9 0 5
-2 9 1 0
-2 9 1 5
-2 9 2 0
-2 9 2 5
-2 9 3 0
-2 9 3 5
-2 9 4 0
-2 9 4 5
-2 9 5 0
-2 9 5 5

Inverse Distance to a
Power
exact or smoothing
interpolator
generate "bull'seyes
-smoothing reduce
this effect
very fast method
for gridding
-till 500 Datapoints

Fig.: with
smoothing: 0.01
-2 9 6 0
-2 9 6 5

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7
Kriging
-2 8 6 0
-2 8 7 0
-2 8 8 0

-2 8 9 0
-2 9 0 0
-2 9 1 0
-2 9 2 0
-2 9 3 0
-2 9 4 0

-2 9 5 0
-2 9 6 0
-2 9 7 0
-2 9 8 0

Fig.: Point Kriging

by entering path & file

name production estimated
standard deviation grid

express trends
suggested in your
data
Point or Block
-Block is using
average valuessmoother; not perfect
specify & add as
many variogramcomponents as
wished

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7
Minimum Curvature

-2 8 6 0
-2 8 8 0
-2 9 0 0
-2 9 2 0

-2 9 4 0
-2 9 6 0
-2 9 8 0
-3 0 0 0
-3 0 2 0
-3 0 4 0
-3 0 6 0
-3 0 8 0
-3 1 0 0
-3 1 2 0
-3 1 4 0
-3 1 6 0

Fig.: default

smooth but not

exact
recalculation of grid
node values until
reached less of max.
Residual value, or
max. Iteration
Set Internal and
Boundary Tension
Relaxiation Factor

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7
Fig.: 1

-2 8 0 0
-2 8 5 0
-2 9 0 0
-2 9 5 0
-3 0 0 0
-3 0 5 0
-3 1 0 0

-3 1 5 0
-3 2 0 0

-3 2 5 0
-3 3 0 0

-2 9 0 0
-2 9 5 0
-3 0 0 0
-3 0 5 0
-3 1 0 0
-3 1 5 0
-3 2 0 0
-3 2 5 0
-3 3 0 0
-3 3 5 0

Fig.: 2

-3 4 0 0

Modified Shepards
Method
Like IDP Method
exact or smoothing
Weighting and
Quadratic Neighbors
parameters
specifies size
(number) of local
neighborhood
Fig.1: Q13/W19;
Fig.2: Q40/W60

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7

Natural Neighbor

-2 8 6 0
-2 8 7 0
-2 8 8 0
-2 8 9 0
-2 9 0 0
-2 9 1 0
-2 9 2 0
-2 9 3 0
-2 9 4 0
-2 9 5 0
-2 9 6 0
-2 9 7 0
-2 9 8 0

Fig.: default

Natural Neighbor
interpolation
algorithm uses a
weighted average
of neighboring
observations,
where the weights
are proportional
to new added
polygons

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7

Nearest Neighbor

-2 8 6 0
-2 8 7 0
-2 8 8 0
-2 8 9 0

-2 9 0 0
-2 9 1 0
-2 9 2 0
-2 9 3 0
-2 9 4 0
-2 9 5 0
-2 9 6 0
-2 9 7 0
-2 9 8 0

Fig.: default

assigns value of
the nearest point
to each grid node
useful when data
are already
evenly spaced
this method is
effective for
filling missing
values

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7
Fig.: 1

-2 8 7 5
-2 8 8 0
-2 8 8 5
-2 8 9 0
-2 8 9 5
-2 9 0 0

-2 9 0 5
-2 9 1 0
-2 9 1 5
-2 9 2 0
-2 9 2 5
-2 9 3 0
-2 9 3 5

-2 8 4 0
-2 8 5 0
-2 8 6 0
-2 8 7 0
-2 8 8 0
-2 8 9 0
-2 9 0 0
-2 9 1 0
-2 9 2 0
-2 9 3 0
-2 9 4 0
-2 9 5 0

Fig.: 2

-2 9 6 0

Polynomial
Regression
used to define
large-scale trends &
patterns
not real interpolator
(does not predict
unknown Z values)
Fig.1: Simple planar
surface; Fig.2: Bilinear saddle

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7

-2 8 7 0
-2 8 8 0
-2 8 9 0
-2 9 0 0
-2 9 1 0
-2 9 2 0
-2 9 3 0
-2 9 4 0
-2 9 5 0
-2 9 6 0
-2 9 7 0
-2 9 8 0
-2 9 9 0
-3 0 0 0
-3 0 1 0
-3 0 2 0
-3 0 3 0
-3 0 4 0
-3 0 5 0

Fig.: 5. Thin plate spline

Radial Basis
Function
1. Inverse
Multiquadric
2. Multilog
3. Multiquadric
4. Natural Cubic
Spline
5. Thin plate Spline
1.; 2.; 4.- error
5.- good; 3.- best

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7

-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2

Fig.: 3. Multiquadric

8
8
8
8
8
8
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9

7
7
8
8
9
9
0
0
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7

0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5

Radial Basis
Function
all exact
interpolators
+ smoothing
factor
= variogram in K.
(mathematically
specifies spatial
variability of data
set & resulting
grid file

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7
Triangulation w/ linear
Interpolation
creates triangles by
drawing lines
between data points
exact interpolator
for evenly
distributed data
over grid area
-sparse areas result
in distinct triangular
facets on map
-2 8 6 0
-2 8 7 0
-2 8 8 0
-2 8 9 0
-2 9 0 0
-2 9 1 0
-2 9 2 0
-2 9 3 0
-2 9 4 0
-2 9 5 0
-2 9 6 0
-2 9 7 0
-2 9 8 0

Fig.: default

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7

Best Results

Kriging is exact, has many options &

modifications,
but needs knowledge

-2 8 6 0
-2 8 7 0
-2 8 8 0
-2 8 9 0
-2 9 0 0
-2 9 1 0
-2 9 2 0
-2 9 3 0
-2 9 4 0
-2 9 5 0
-2 9 6 0
-2 9 7 0
-2 9 8 0

Fig.: Point Kriging

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7

Best Results

Radial Basis Function is exact, shows nice views

& is uncomplicated
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2

Fig.: Radial Basic

Function; Multiquadric

8
8
8
8
8
8
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9

7
7
8
8
9
9
0
0
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7

0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5
0
5

Analysis of different gridding

methods using Surfer7

Conclusion

I did not consider all aspects & details

Surfer is very powerful for the 3D-Visualization
Surfer 7 works:
-fast & without consuming much disk space
-uncomplicated with Object manager
All processes (gridding, mapping) can be
automated with writing programs in Visual Basic
Help content is very useful & describes also
background information