Spatial analyses of groundwater levels using universal kriging

For water levels, generally a non-stationary variable, the technique of universal kriging is applied in preference to ordinary kriging as the interpolation method. Each set of data in every sector can fit different empirical semivariogram models since they have different spatial structures. These models can be classified as circular, spherical, tetraspherical, pentaspherical, exponential, gaussian, rational quadratic, hole effect, K-bessel, J-bessel and stable. This study aims to determine which of these empirical semivariogram models will be best matched with the experimental models obtained from groundwater-table values collected from Mustafakemalpasa left bank irrigation scheme in 2002. The model having the least error was selected by comparing the observed water-table values with the values predicted by empirical semivariogram models. It was determined that the rational quadratic empirical semivariogram model is the best fitted model for the studied irrigation area.