Abstract: A method for preserving edges in an image data set utilizing a modified anisotropic diffusion technique which can be applied multiple times to the image data to improve edge definition. The modified anisotropic diffusion technique may be applied to a filtered data set as well.

Abstract: rocessing a seismic image comprising the steps of(a) obtaining a two or three dimensional initial image data set, wherein each element u(m=0) of the data set is the initial image intensity of a point of the image;(b) calculating for each point the partial derivatives of u(m) in n directions to obtain n derivative data sets of the partial derivatives uxi; (c) calculating for each point a symmetric n×n structural matrix S, wherein the elements spq equal uxp·uxq, and an n×n diffusion matrix D, wherein the elements dij are a function of the elements spq; (d) calculating for each point u(m+1) from u(m) using the following equation u(m+1)=u(m)+c.div(&egr;.Dgrad(u(m))), wherein c is a predetermined constant, 0≦c≦1, and wherein &egr; is a scalar, 0≦&egr;≦, wherein &egr; is close to zero when near an edge and close to 1 when far away from an edge (10, 11, 12, 14, 15); and(e) repeating steps (b) through (e) M times to obtain the processed image.