Variation in Accuracy of Temperature Maps Produced Using Geographic Information Systems

Abstract

Isopleth maps are one of the most important cartographic methods used by the geographer to represent temperatures, whether by using equal temperature lines only, or by shading the areas confined between those lines with shadows or color in red. The Spatial Analysis Tools in the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program provided the possibility of producing high-accuracy maps by representing the data of several climate stations covering the area of the studied region, relying on spatial interpolation methods.

But the problem appears: there is a discrepancy in the accuracy of the maps produced by adopting these methods, due to the discrepancy in the number of climate stations that cover the area of the studied area. The greater the number of climate stations, the more accurate the map is, and vice versa, or because of the irregularity of the distance between those stations and the pattern of their distribution. Or there is a lack of temperature data for some stations, and this was observed when producing temperature maps for Diyala Governorate as a model.