Error evaluation for IDW mineral reserve estimates

Li Zhanglin, Wang Ping 

COMPUTER MODELLING & NEW TECHNOLOGIES 2014 18(12C) 384-389

Computer Faculty, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China

Inverse distance weighting (IDW) is a well-known method for computer aided mineral reserve estimation. In practice, however, how to evaluate errors of the estimates has always been a problem for this method. This paper proposes an alternative solution to this issue. Firstly, based on a series of discussion and analysis, implementation procedure of IDW mineral reserves estimation method in computer software was designed and explained in detail. Secondly, two methods, comparing with measured values in a developed or developing mine and with different IDW interpolation parameters in the framework of cross validation, were proposed to evaluate error of mineral reserves estimates. At last, the procedures of this method in detail has clearly been illustrated through a typical practical application, from which the practicability of the solution based on cross validation is clearly shown. Thus, it can be concluded that the proposed method is valid and practicable both in theory and practice.