Models for Spatial Data

Before launching into the main topics of the book, we first want to introduce two standard models used for spatial data, as they will reappear throughout the book. The first is the Markov random field (MRF), which is most useful for grids and irregular areal data. The second is the Gaussian process, which is more useful when a continuous surface is desired or a wider variety of spatial smoothness needs to be specified or fit.