Hey Adele,
I understand that you are iteratively searching for the pixel with the lowest height in the neighbourhood and then working your way to find a path with the highest gradient.
Here are some alternate approaches that may be faster and more efficient:
Alternative Approach 1: Gradient Calculation
Instead of searching for the lowest height pixel, calculate the gradient at each pixel using numerical differentiation. MATLAB's gradient functions (gradient or gradientm) can help identify the steepest ascent or descent direction, which can potentially indicate the likely path of lava flow.
Alternative Approach 2: Topographical Analysis
MATLAB has specialized functions like imgradient and imgradientmagfor analyzing topography. They compute gradients and magnitudes, assisting in identifying paths and flow directions and can be beneficial in analyzing your volcano's Digital Elevation Model (DEM).
Alternative Approach 3: Image Processing Toolbox
If available, the Image Processing Toolbox offers functions like bwlabel and imregionalmin for analyzing DEMs. They can help identify regions and local minima, providing insights into lowest points and connectivity..
Alternative Approach 4: Optimization Techniques
Formulate the problem as an optimization task, treating pixel heights as a cost function. Utilize optimization algorithms like gradient descent from MATLAB's Optimization Toolbox to search for paths with the highest gradient, potentially indicating lava flow paths.
Note that usage of any of the above alternative approaches depends on your particular use case and the speed can also vary according to that.
Thanks!
