A flexible lag definition for experimental variogram calculation

Inferring the experimental variogram used in geostatistics commonly relies on the method-of-moments approach. Ideally, the available data-set used for calculating the experimental variogram should be drawn from a regular pattern. However, in practice the available data-set is typically sampled over a sparse pattern at irregularly spaced locations. Hence, some binning of the variogram cloud is required to obtain fair estimates of the experimental variogram. Grouping of the variogram data pairs as a result of conventional binning depends on parameters such as the main anisotropic directions and a regular definition of the lag vectors. These parameters are not based on the configuration of the variogram data pairs in the variogram cloud but on a segment of it that is arbitrarily predefined. Therefore, the conventional experimental variogram estimation approach is biased because of the strict configuration of the bins over the variogram cloud. In this paper, a new method of estimating experimental variograms is proposed. Lag vectors and their tolerances are decided in the proposed method from information in the variogram cloud: they are not influenced by any predefined directions. The proposed methodology is a well-founded, practicable and easy-to-automate approach for experimental variogram calculation using an irregularly sampled data-set. Comparison of results from the new method to those from the traditional approach is very encouraging.