1.1 This guide covers the conditions that determine the selection of a suitable simulation approach for a site investigation problem. Alternative simulation approaches considered here are conditional and nonconditional, indicator and Gaussian, single and multiple realization, point, and block.

1.2 This guide describes the conditions for which the use of simulation is an appropriate alternative to the use of estimation in geostatistical site investigations.

1.3 This guide does not discuss the basic principles of geostatistics. Introductions to geostatistics may be found in numerous texts including Refs (1), (2), and (3).

1.4 This guide is concerned with general simulation approaches only and does not discuss particular simulation algorithms currently in use. These are described in Refs (4), (5), and (6).