Page 12 - Modern Spatiotemporal Geostatistics
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Preface                            xi

        and  the  epistemic  level  (using what we know about  the  physical  systems and
        integrating  and  modeling  knowledge  from  a  variety  of  scientific  disciplines),
        rather than  in  the  pure or  naive  inductive  account of  science  based  merely on
        a  linear  relationship  between data  and  hypotheses and  theory-free  techniques
        that  may  be  useful in  other  areas.  In this  sense,  modern spatiotemporal  geo-
        statistics facilitates  yet  another  kind  of  integration:  the  horizontal  integration
        among disparate scientific fields.  By processing a variety of  physical knowledge
         bases,  the  BME  approach brings  together  several  sciences  which  are all  rele-
        vant  to  the  aspect of  reality  that  is to  be examined.  For example,  BME  can
         become  an  integral  component  of  the  interdisciplinary  attack  on fundamental
        environmental  health systems which involve physical variables, exposure mech-
        anisms,  biological  processes,  human anatomy and  physiology  parameters, and
        epidemiological  indicators.  The  subject of  horizontal integration  is a source  of
        great  excitement  among scientists;  new  ideas  are generated incessantly.  It  is
        expected that as the domain of  modern spatiotemporal geostatistics continues
        to  expand in search of  new conquests, a variety of  mapping methods aiming at
         horizontal  integration will  be added to  its  arsenal.
             The  crux of this book was projected in Spring 1986 while  I was a research
         scientist  in what  is now the  Mathematical Geology Section of the  Kansas Geo-
         logical  Survey.  Some results  were published  in a paper in  Mathematical  Geol-
         ogy  in  1990.  Several other  research obligations  prevented me from working sys-
        tematically  on the  subject for  the following  six or seven years.  My  involvement
         in  BME  analysis  has  been  renewed  in  recent  years,  due  to  increased  interest
         in  developing  a  new  conceptual  and  methodological  framework  for  geostatis-
        tics,  and  aided  by  generous  funding  from  the  Army  Research  Office (Grants
         DAAG55-98-1-0289  and  DAAH04-96-1-0100).  To  this  financial  benefactor I
         remain  grateful.
             In  carrying out  the  project,  I have  benefited from  comments made  by my
         colleagues  Patrick  Bogaert,  Dionissios Hristopulos,  Ricardo Olea,  John Davis,
         Jurgen  Pilz,  Tom  Jones,  and  Hyemi  Choi.  Also  my  students,  Marc  Serre,
         Kyung-mee  Choi,  Alexander Kolovos,  and  Jordan Kovitz  read  my  class  notes
         and  recommended improvements.  In some  cases,  it  was indeed  my  confronta-
        tion with youth that  prompted  a fresh look  at the  basis of geostatistics.  These
         students continue to  work in the field of  modern geostatistics and are expected
        to  contribute  significantly  to  its  further  advancement.  Finally,  I  am deeply
         indebted  to  Jo  Anne  DeGraffenreid,  IAMG  editor  of  the  Oxford  monograph
         series,  Studies  in  Mathematical  Geology,  her continuous  encouragement and
         editorial  acumen  have  proven invaluable.
             It  has been said that  in science, the quality of a scientist's work  is closely
         related  to  the  quality  of  those  thinkers  with  whom  he/she  disagrees.  I  have
         personally benefited greatly from discussions, criticisms,  and exchanges of  ideas
         with  theoretical  opponents for whom  I have the greatest  respect.  If this  book
         is somehow critical  of some of their ideas,  it  is because healthy disagreement—
         and  not  imitation—is the  deepest sign of  an abiding appreciation.
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