I need to interpolate in ArcGIS 10.1 soil data (organic matter content, nutrient content, pH, etc.) from a set of soil sampling points to the surface which this set of points lays on.
I am considering Kriging or Inverse Distance Weighted.
I guess that using the Geostatistical wizard (in the Geostatistical Analyst toolbar) is the best option since the wizard has “Optimize the entire model” and “Optimize power value” buttons for respectively both interpolation methods. But I have seen that for certain attributes or values to interpolate, it can be obtained a lower RMS by Kriging than by IDW, and on the contrary for other attributes.
How to know in advance which method gives better interpolation result (lower RMS –or any other quality indicator-)? Or, on the contrary, is it necessary to achieve it by trying to change as many different parameters of both methods as possible?