Calculation of the True Anisotrophic Distance Between Points

Geostatistics uses statistical modelling to assess the uncertainty inherent in natural resource problems. There is always a sparsity of data because of the cost of getting samples. Statistical models have emerged as the preferred method of quantifying the uncertainly in this situation. These models allow mining, petroleum and environmental companies to make better decisions when faced with sparse data. Thus, the intern’s research will develop a methodology to calculate the true distance between samples. Because geology is heterogeneous, the effective distance between two samples is not a straight line. Being able to calculate the true distance between points when the heterogeneity varies greatly over the statistical model will allow for a better quantification of the uncertainty in a given problem.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Clayton Deutsch

Student:

Jeff Boisvert

Partner:

DeBeers Canada

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Environmental industry

University:

University of Alberta