Experiments in the Identification of Terrain Features Using a PC-Based Parallel Computer

This paper describes the process through which an existing serial algorithm that classifies terrain features in a digital elevation model (DEM) is recast into a version that executes in a parallel computer environment. The transformation process is guided by a formal analysis of dependency relationships that exist among the different steps in the algorithm. The resulting program is tested using a small parallel computer system. The results demonstrate that run times are reduced, and that the processors are used efficiently. The general approach to the development and implementation of parallel algorithms that is presented in this paper is extensible to a wide range of geographical computing problems.

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