Scribd
Upload
36 views9 pages

Topographical Map Skills NOTES

Uploaded by

Zoe Faith Gumise
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
36 views9 pages

Topographical Map Skills NOTES

Uploaded by

Zoe Faith Gumise
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 9

Topographical Map Skills

Map

o Four figure grid reference of the tourist information center is 4733.

o Six figure grid reference of the tourist information center is 476334.

 Compass points for direction

 Contours:

 Contour lines connect points of equal altitude (elevation above sea level) on a map.

 Measure from sea level in meters

 Each contour is in regular intervals

 Spot heights e.g. 398 on trigonometrical points


 Gradient

= 𝑉𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑙 (𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡) 𝐻𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐸

𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡 (ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒) Horizontal Equivalent (horizontal dista


nce) Vertical Interval (difference in height)

Patterns of contours:

Calculating Distances
In the IGCSE exams, maps are given at a scale of 1:25000 OR 1:50000. The scale

of the map is given on the map itself and also in the exam paper.

A map with a scale of 1:25000 means that 1 cm on the map is 0.25km. Similarly, a

scale of 1:50000 means that 1 cm on the map is 0.5 km.

You also may be asked how to convert units:


Measuring Distances
To measure straight distances, use a piece of paper and the scale given.

You will also be asked to measure curved distances. You can:

1. by using a piece of paper

2. by using a piece of string

This video teaches you how to measure curved distances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goCTtV7vLEc

The Compass rose and bearings


You will be asked to describe the location of features by giving directions.

The IGCSE requires you to give direction on a 16 point compass.


(the 16 point compass)

 Bearings are used to give the direction of a point in degrees, always starting from

north.

This means that:

 North would be 0° from north (or 000 as a bearing),

 East would be 90° ( written as 090 for bearings),

 South would be 180° ( written as 180),

 West would be 270° (written as a bearing of 270).

Remember:

1. Each sub-sub-division is 22.5˚

2. Direction is always given in the form of ‘FROM and TO’ statements.

3. Wind is always named as the direction it is blowing from.

4. Rivers always flow from high to low land.

5. When taking compass directions: 0 ̊ must be facing

Important reminders about maps


Exotic forest are a human feature (introduced forest). • Describing an area: 1)

general statement (location on map, direction, place specific details: names etc) 2)
physical features (contour, relief, spot height etc), 3) human features (e.g. land use,

settlement etc), Always look for patterns: concentration, spread etc • If contour lines

are going in, then it is a valley.

Cross-sections
This video explains how to take cross-sections:

https://youtu.be/c7gT8gU_pD8

Describing Cross-sections
When interpreting a cross-section, you can describe (whether)

 slopes are concave or convex

 the gradient is steep or gentle

 the maximum height

 the type of feature shown (eg. hill, mountain, mountain range, flood plain, plateau

etc.)

 characteristics of a feature ( broad, flat, etc.)

 the features which the cross-section cuts through

 changes throughout the cross-section

Patterns and Features


Recognizing Patterns
 Settlement patterns: isolated, dispersed, nucleated or linear

 Street patterns and residential types:

o Straight roads normally indicate terraced housing


o Curved roads and cul-de-sacs often represent suburban privately owned detached

and semi-detached houses.

 Natural advantages of a settlement: on flat land, near a water source, on the

coast, near farmland, near natural resources, defensive location

 Human locational factors: good road links, schools, hospitals, jobs, leisure facilities

 Natural features: bays and headlands, river valleys, mountains, mangroves and

forests

 Land uses: agricultural, residential, industrial

 Areas main functions: tourism, educational, fishing

 Features that may have promoted a particular function: e.g. tourism may have

been promoted by:

o Natural features: beaches, the sea, mountain scenery, waterfalls

o Human features: museums, historical buildings, water parks, golf course, hotels and

restaurants

 Humans interaction with nature: building a dam on a river, building groynes on a

beach or draining wetlands.

Describing Patterns
Relied is the height and shape (flat/steep) of the map

– (look for spot heights, index and interval contours, shape of contour).

1. Convex slope – contours closer at the bottom

2. Concave slope – contours further apart at bottom

3. Uniform slope – contour decrease evenly.

4. Depressions – height decrease as go into circle.

5. Valleys intrude, ridges protrude:


River landscapes
Other important things to note:
 Settlement patterns: dispersed, nucleated, linear.
 Natural advantages of a settlement: flat land, near water source, on the coast,
near farmland, near natural resources, defensive location.
 Human locational factors: good road links, schools, hospitals, jobs, leisure facilities
 tourism can be promoted by: beaches, sea, mountain, waterfalls, historical buildings,
water parks, golf courses, hotels and restaurants.
 Describing photos: structure, type of vegetation, geographical features.
 Describing relief: average height of relief and height of highest point
o mountainous or hilly or part of a plateau
o state locations (grid reference) of any relief features that stands out
o slope: concave, convex, uniform, steep
 Describing landscape: ridge, plateau (elevated land with flat top and steep sides),
scarp, floodplain
o broad, flat, steep-sided, deeply cut, gently sloping
 Drainage:
o density of drainage: the greater the number of streams, the higher the density
o stream patterns: dendritic, trellis or radial
o area drained – many tributaries joining the main river etc.
o direction of flow
o course of river: straight or meandering, braiding, width
o presence of river features e.g rapids, waterfall
 Choropleth map: maps which are shaded according to a pre-arranged key.

You might also like