Plate Tectonics - 4

I didn't accomplish as much as I'd hoped today, courtesy of Real Life.  In any case, I made a bit more progress on the Plate Tectonics simulator.  Alas, I also decided to finish up a few things I'd originally though to leave for the future, so I'm not sure I'm actually any closer to completion.  [sigh]

In a post yesterday, I mentioned I'd found code for a more recent version of the PlaTec simulator.  I've incorporated most of that updated code and done some minor refactoring to better modularize the program.  Previously, the simulation and the UI had been a bit too intertwined, legacy of my not having done anything much in C++ for ages, and only second time using the GUI framework in question (FLKT).

Updated parameters dialog box

So what did that get me?  The updated PlaTec code brought better erosion algorithm, fewer visual anomalies, and slightly slower simulation.  The refactoring will eventually allow console-based execution as well as the current interactive GUI mode.  And I've made a few more parameters accessible via the GUI.  However, two parameters that are the GUI no longer accomplish anything.  I have to modify the updated PlaTec code to permit the parameters in question to be supplied via code, rather than treating them as hard-coded constants.  One of the other features I'd originally considered for a future enhancement, a parameters file, I have decided to at least completed the code for writing to file.  Reading in is likely still a future enhancement, but I'd like to know what parameters I used to create any given map.

Map generated using updated (2015) PlaTec code.
Note the greater variation in elevation, as depicted by color variation, as compared to earlier examples.
Note also that there are fewer high plateaus.  
The number of strange islands is also reduced, replaced by more coherent islands.

Map created with earlier PlaTec code.  Note lesser variation in elevation/color, and greater number of high plateaus.