ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Comparison of Different Interpolation Methods
for Investigating Spatial Variability
of Rainfall Erosivity Index
Nazila Khorsandi1, Mohammad Hossein Mahdian2, Ebrahim Pazira3,
Davood Nikkami4, Hadi Chamheidar5
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1Young Researchers club, Takestan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Takestan, Iran
2Organization of Research, Education and Extension, Agriculture Ministry, Tehran, Iran
3Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University,
P.O. Box 14515/775, Tehran, Iran
4Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institute, Tehran, Iran
5Department of soil science, Faculty of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Shoushtar Branch, Shoushtar, Iran
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2012;21(6):1659-1666
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The objective of our study was to expand the R factor of the RUSLE model, erosivity index by its estimation
from more readily available rainfall erosivity indexes and parameters in stations without rainfall intensity
data, and to determine the most accurate interpolation method for preparing an erosivity index map.
Among different erosivity indexes and parameters based on rainfall amounts, only the modified fournier Index
(FImod) was highly correlated with EI30 in 20 synoptic stations. A local model was used for estimating EI30 from
FImod in the other 66 stations without rainfall intensity data. The spatial variability of the calculated EI30 in all
of the stations was different at an azimuth of 32º when compared to the other directions. Moreover, the nuggetto-
sill ratio of the semivariogram (0.27) confirmed a strong spatial correlation of EI30. The inverse distance
weighting (IDW), spline, kriging, and cokriging methods with elevation as a covariable were compared by a
cross-validation technique. The root mean square error (RMSE) value of the cokriging method when compared
to that of the IDW, kriging, and spline methods in the study area declined by 11%, 3%, and 4%, respectively.
The output maps for all of the interpolation methods followed similar decreasing trends from west to
east, with the highest erosivity index (1,450 MJ·mm·ha-1·h-1·y-1) found in the west. This pattern corresponds
with the pattern of climatic change from subhumid to semiarid.