can this algorithm be run lazily? ie, can you continue to generate continuous terrain using this technique or do you need to generate the whole map ahead of time?
It can be run lazily in two ways: first, you can lazily add detail (ie, render down to a specific level of detail and postpone the rest); second, you can lazily build grid blocks out to the horizon (eg, for walking around a terrain first-person). So detail vs size laziness.