AN INTERPOLATION METHOD FOR ESTUARINE AND OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA

A relatively new interpolation method (developed by R. W. Stineman) was tested for use in estuarine studies, although it can be employed in a large variety of similar processes. A FORTRAN-77 subroutine STINTV was developed, and several tests were performed by analyzing basic oceanographic variables such as salinity, temperature, current velocities, and tides obtained in the Bahia Blanca Estuary. Stineman's method is between 2 and 6 times faster and more accurate than cubic spline interpolation when compared statistically. Stineman's is as fast as simpler linear interpolation. When the function to be interpolated behaves in a smooth fashion, both methods give reliable results: however, Stineman's is more reliable if the variable presents abrupt changes in slope.