Review of Topographic Map Rules

Introduction (Please Read) The word topography means the geographical features of an area. Therefore Topographic maps show the shape of the land as well as a range of natural and human features.These maps use a variety of symbols to represent these features.Being able to interpret topographic maps is an important geographical skill. It allows you to:Locate features of the physical and human environmentsDescribe distributions and patternsIdentify links and relationships between featuresThis worksheet will revisit -features of a mapscalecontour lines and intervalsrelief Interactive Topographic Maps Watch the video below to see how augmented reality can be used to represent landforms in terms of topographic maps and contour lines! Scale is used to measure distance on a map. Scale tells us how much the distance in real life has been reduced to fit on the map. Scale can be written as a ration, sentence or as a linear scale (line scale). Make sure you look at where 0 is when starting to measure the scale. Map Analysis Have a look at the map below. Answer the questions using the map. What is the contour interval on this map? 10ft 20ft 100ft What type of landform is in the Southeast corner of the map? Hill Slope Depression What is the highest possible elevation of "X" on the map? 290ft 299ft 300ft 295ft Features of a map Label the following features on the map - compass, legend, scale Compass Legend Scale Contour Lines and Contour Intervals Contour lines show height on a map. The join places that are the same height and never cross over each other. The difference in height between each point is called the contour interval. Have a look at the following map and complete the questions (the measurements are in meters) - What is the height of A? 900m 850m 800m What is the difference in height between A and B? 100m 200m 0m What is the contour interval of the map? 100m 200m 50m What is the approximate height of X? Greater than 1600 1500m 1600m Analyzing Topographic Maps Label the Topographic map using the word bank. Analyze the map and answer the questions below.Word Bank: Peak Sea Level Contour Line Sea Level Peak Contour Line 1) If the first layer of your map is sea level and the contour interval = 10 ft., then what elevation of point C? 0 ft 12 ft 5 ft 10 ft 2) Which is the steepest slope on the hill? North Southwest Southeast West 3) If a hiker wanted to climb this hill, which side of the hill would be the easiest, more gentle climb? South Southeast East South west Read the paragraph. Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences using the drop down menu when you click on the blank. Topographic MapsThe topography of a region can be shown on a map. Topographic maps represent geographical features, such as hills and valleys. Topographic maps use contour linesto show geographical features. A contour line is a line of equal elevation. If you walk along a contour line, you will not go uphill or downhill. Topographic maps are also called contour maps.The rules of topographic maps are:Each line connects all points of a specific elevation Contour lines never cross. After all, a single point can only have one elevation. Adjacent contour lines are separated by a constant difference in elevation (such as 20 feet or 100 feet). The difference in elevation is the contour interval. The The contour interval is sometimes indicated in the map legend. Scales indicate horizontal distance and are also found on the map legend.Interpreting Contour MapsHow does a topographic map tell you about the area? Let’s consider the following principles:1. The spacing of contour lines shows the slope of the land. Contour lines that are close together indicate a steepslope. This is because the elevation changes quickly in a small area. Contour lines that seem to touch indicate a very steep slope, like a cliff. When contour lines are spaced far apart, the slope is gentle So contour lines help us see the three-dimensional shape of the land.Rivers and StreamsWhen contour lines cross a stream, they form a v-shapethat indicates a river or stream. The "arrow" of the v-shape always points upstream towards the head of the river. Everyone knows that rivers, streams and creeks always flow downhilltoward the mouth of the river and empty into a larger body of water.DepressionsAnother recognizable landform on topographic map is a depression. A depression is sort of the opposite of a hill. It is a ditch, or gully, or pit, where the elevation decreases towards the center. On a topographic map depressions look a lot like hills. They will appear as a series of closed circles one inside the other. However, to distinguish them from hills, depressions have hashmarkson all of the contour lines. This allows us to easily identify them as depressions. The lowest point in a depression is inside the inner most circle. Examples of a depressions include volcanoes and craters and ditches.