Variogram or Semivariogram? Variance or Semivariance? Allan Variance or Introducing a New Term?

Abstract

There is a confusing situation in geostatistical literature: Some authors write variogram, and some authors write semivariogram. Based on a formula for the empirical variance that relates to pairwise differences, it is shown that the values depicted in a variogram are entire variances of observations at a given spatial separation (lag). Therefore, they should not be called semivariances, and the term semivariogram should also be avoided. To name a variogram value, we suggest the use of the term gammavariance instead of the misleading semivariance.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]