• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.439-459
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• 2023

Numerical analysis has been adopted in nearly all modern scientific and engineering fields due to the rapid and ongoing evolution of computational technology, with the number of grid or mesh points in a given data field also increasing. Some values must be extracted from large data fields to evaluate and supplement numerical analysis results and observational data, thereby highlighting the need for a fast and effective interpolation approach. The quadrilateral irregular network (QIN) proposed in this study is a fast and reliable interpolation method that is capable of sufficiently satisfying these demands. A comparative sensitivity analysis is first performed using known test functions to assess the accuracy and computational requirements of QIN relative to conventional interpolation methods. These same interpolation methods are then employed to produce simple numerical model results for a real-world comparison. Unlike conventional interpolation methods, QIN can obtain reliable results with a guaranteed degree of accuracy since there is no need to determine the optimal parameter values. Furthermore, QIN is a computationally efficient method compared with conventional interpolation methods that require the entire data space to be evaluated during interpolation, even if only a subset of the data space requires interpolation.