Elias Adediran
Doctoral Researcher
Ocean Engineering
UNH CCOM/JHC
Friday, May 1, 2026, 3:10pm
Chase 105
Abstract
Quantifying uncertainty in bathymetric interpolation remains a key challenge in ocean mapping, with direct implications for navigation, science, and industry. While modern multibeam systems have improved coverage efficiency, interpolation is still required to fill data gaps, particularly in setline spacing and skunk-striping surveys where unsampled regions remain common and uncertainty is rarely formally quantified.
In this talk, we present iBLUE (Interpolated Bathymetry Linear Uncertainty Estimator), an algorithm that uses spectral and spatial statistical approaches to estimate vertical uncertainty in interpolated bathymetry. It models interpolation departures from the true seafloor as a stochastic process and characterizes them using nearby observations under the assumption that seafloor statistical properties are locally consistent over short spatial scales. The validity of this approach is assessed by evaluating the extent to which residual statistics exhibit local stationarity and limited directional dependence.
Results across both complex and flat seafloor morphologies show that the uncertainty estimated by iBLUE reliably bounds the “true” interpolation error in approximately 90–95% of locations. These results enable the practical propagation of interpolation uncertainty into bathymetric products, improving confidence in datasets for navigation and scientific applications.
Bio
Elias Adediran is a doctoral researcher in Ocean Engineering at the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping – Joint Hydrographic Center, where his research focuses on improving digital bathymetric models by characterizing interpolation uncertainties. He holds a Master’s in Ocean Engineering: Ocean Mapping and graduate certificates in Ocean Mapping and Geospatial Science from UNH. Before that, he earned a first-class Bachelor of Science in Surveying and Geoinformatics from the University of Lagos and a National Diploma with distinction from Yaba College of Technology, Nigeria.
