A geostatistical tool that yields a quantitative measure of the error in a map. It is performed when multiple maps have been created using kriging or cokriging and where each map has similar mean and variance as the control points, has approximately the same semivariogram, and approximately honors the control points. If guide data are used, the average of the conditional simulation images is the kriging with external drift (KED) solution.
In general, conditional simulation maps contain more detail than maps produced by kriging or KED, but require much more effort to produce.