![]() ![]() The topo map may help you locate where you are. Once you allow your eyes to observe the overall pattern of the thick and thin contour lines, it becomes fairly easy to imagine the hills and valleys. The beauty of a topographic map is its ability to infer a picture in your mind of the lay of the land. Topographical Map Contour Lines Visualize The Land So, be aware of that distance, depending on the map you’re reading. Note: A thought to bear in mind when you are using a map out on the ground… The gap between the interval lines – 6m – if a feature on the land is smaller than that height, and situated between two elevation intervals, it may not appear on the map at all. The contour interval is stated on every topographic map and is usually located near the scale.įor example, if a topographic map scale indicates a contour interval of 6 meters (nearly 20 feet), and a particular thick ‘index’ contour line on the map is labeled ‘1040’, this means that everything along that contour line is at 1040 meters elevation above sea level (the newer USGS topo maps are in meters), and each thin line above or below that index line is a difference of 6 meters. The distance represented between each of the interval lines is known as the contour interval. However, index lines (the bold / thick lines) are typically labeled with a number indicating the elevation for that particular line. You’ll notice both thin and thick contour lines on a topographic map. They also trend up valleys and form a “V” or a “U” where they cross a stream. Lines spaced widely apart indicate more gentle slopes. ![]() For example, lines that are crowded close together – means that the terrain is steep. Topographic contour lines allow you to figure out general terrain characteristics from their patterns. They are used to determine elevations (referred to in feet or meters, above sea level). By following one, you would travel flat, not uphill or downhill, and would eventually end up back around at your starting point if you went all the way around it. Think of a contour line as a closed loop. They are called contour lines.Īll points along the same contour line are at the same elevation above sea level. Lines snake their way around a topographic map. Topographic map contour lines represent the land surface. Topography is the shape of the land surface. It also provides specific details as to the elevation of the surface. A topographic map enables you to visualize the hills and valleys of the land itself. A topographic map is a two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional surface of the land.
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