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Variogram or Semivariogram? Variance or Semivariance? Allan Variance or Introducing a New Term?

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Abstract

There is a confusing situation in geostatistical literature: Some authors write variogram, and some authors write semivariogram. Based on a formula for the empirical variance that relates to pairwise differences, it is shown that the values depicted in a variogram are entire variances of observations at a given spatial separation (lag). Therefore, they should not be called semivariances, and the term semivariogram should also be avoided. To name a variogram value, we suggest the use of the term gammavariance instead of the misleading semivariance.

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Correspondence to Martin Bachmaier.

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Bachmaier, M., Backes, M. Variogram or Semivariogram? Variance or Semivariance? Allan Variance or Introducing a New Term?. Math Geosci 43, 735–740 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11004-011-9348-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11004-011-9348-3

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