Infill-sampling design and the Cost of classification errors

The criterion used to select infill sample locations should depend on the sampling objective. Minimizing the global estimation variance is the most widely used criterion and is suitable for many problems. However, when the objective of the sampling program is to partition an area of interest into zones of high values and zones of low values, minimizing the expected cost of classification errors is a more appropriate criterion. Unlike the global estimation variance, the cost of classification errors incorporates both the sample locations and the sample values into an objective infill-sampling design criterion.