Visual Spatial Learning: Single-Field Spatial Interpolation Using Convolutional Neural Networks

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Tinoco, Daniel, Menezes, Raquel, Baquero, Carlos, Silva, Alexandra
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Tinoco, Daniel
Menezes, Raquel
Baquero, Carlos
Silva, Alexandra
author_facet Tinoco, Daniel
Menezes, Raquel
Baquero, Carlos
Silva, Alexandra
contents Predicting a complete spatially correlated field from sparse observations is a fundamental challenge in spatial statistics and environmental modelling. Classical interpolation methods such as Kriging rely on Gaussian process assumptions and variography, which can limit their effectiveness in non-stationary settings and require substantial domain expertise. In this work, we leverage an architecture based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for spatial interpolation that is trained and applied on a single partially observed field, without access to external data or prior fields. The model is supervised directly on the observed locations and learns to predict values at unobserved points on the user defined grid. Unlike Kriging, our method does not require explicit covariance modelling or variogram estimation, and it can flexibly capture local spatial patterns in a data-driven manner. This work demonstrates the potential of CNNs for single-instance spatial interpolation under sparse supervision, offering a practical alternative to classical geostatistical methods, and extending the use of CNNs to a new problem domain.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_30167
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Visual Spatial Learning: Single-Field Spatial Interpolation Using Convolutional Neural Networks
Tinoco, Daniel
Menezes, Raquel
Baquero, Carlos
Silva, Alexandra
Machine Learning
Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
Applications
Predicting a complete spatially correlated field from sparse observations is a fundamental challenge in spatial statistics and environmental modelling. Classical interpolation methods such as Kriging rely on Gaussian process assumptions and variography, which can limit their effectiveness in non-stationary settings and require substantial domain expertise. In this work, we leverage an architecture based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for spatial interpolation that is trained and applied on a single partially observed field, without access to external data or prior fields. The model is supervised directly on the observed locations and learns to predict values at unobserved points on the user defined grid. Unlike Kriging, our method does not require explicit covariance modelling or variogram estimation, and it can flexibly capture local spatial patterns in a data-driven manner. This work demonstrates the potential of CNNs for single-instance spatial interpolation under sparse supervision, offering a practical alternative to classical geostatistical methods, and extending the use of CNNs to a new problem domain.
title Visual Spatial Learning: Single-Field Spatial Interpolation Using Convolutional Neural Networks
topic Machine Learning
Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
Applications
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.30167