Least-cost paths in mountainous terrain

Footpaths in a mountainous area of Wales are modelled as least-cost paths between the start and end points. The cost function is defined on the basis of topography alone, and is defined in such a way that the cost penalty for excessively steep slopes is an adjustable parameter of the model. Least-co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inComputers & geosciences Vol. 30; no. 3; pp. 203 - 209
Main Author Rees, W.G.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2004
Elsevier Science
Subjects
Areal geology. Maps
Digital elevation model
Dijkstra algorithm
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Geologic maps, cartography
Least-cost path
Mountain paths
Physiology
United Kingdom
Great Britain
Wales
Western Europe
Digital elevation model
Physiology
Least-cost path
Mountain paths
Dijkstra algorithm
algorithms
models
cost
terrains
Europe
topography
digital elevation models
slopes
computers
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Summary:Footpaths in a mountainous area of Wales are modelled as least-cost paths between the start and end points. The cost function is defined on the basis of topography alone, and is defined in such a way that the cost penalty for excessively steep slopes is an adjustable parameter of the model. Least-cost paths are calculated by applying Dijkstra's algorithm to a Digital Elevation Model. Comparison of these calculated least-cost paths with existing footpaths suggests that the latter do not usually follow the least-time route, but instead optimise the metabolic cost for human locomotion. The method developed here is proposed as a means of exploring possible routes for new footpaths in mountainous areas.
ISSN:0098-3004
1873-7803
DOI:10.1016/j.cageo.2003.11.001