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Chapter Two 1

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62 views25 pages

Chapter Two 1

Uploaded by

abush162223
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chapter Two

preparation and interpretation of Top- maps

A topographic map is one that shows the size, shape, and


distribution of features of the earth’s surface. These features
are:
Elevation or Altitude: the vertical distance between
a given point and the datum plane.
Datum plane: the reference surface from which all
altitudes on a map are measured. This is usually
mean sea level.
Height: the vertical difference in elevation between
an object and its immediate surroundings.
Relief: the difference in elevation of an area
Contours and contour patterns
Contouring is the most common method for
terrain mapping. Contour lines are lines
drawn on a map connecting points of equal
elevation.
Contour line (often just called a "contour") joins points of
equal elevation (height) above a given level, such as
mean sea level.
 The contour interval of a contour map is the difference
in elevation between successive contour lines.
 The contour interval is constant for each map.
 A contour map is a map illustrated with contour lines,
for example a topographic map, which shows valleys and
hills, and the steepness of slopes.
Characteristics of Contour Lines

 Every point on the same contour line has


the same elevation.
 Always rejoins or closes upon itself to form a
loop,
 Contour lines never split.
 Never cross one another; however, if there is
a steep cliff, they may appear to overlap
because they are superimposed on one another.
 Slopes rise or descend at right angles to any
contour line.
 Evenly/equally spaced contours indicate a
uniform slope
When contour lines cross streams they bend
upstream; that is, the segment of the contour
line near the stream forms a “V” with the peak
pointing in an upstream direction
Closely spaced contours indicate a steep
slope
Widely spaced contours indicate a gentle
slope
Unevenly spaced contours indicate a variable
or irregular slope
 The elevation represented by a contour line is
always a simple multiple of the contour
Reading contour patterns on a topographic
map
Topographic map, Negash area, Ethiopia (1: 50,000 scale
A CONVEX AND CONCAVE SLOPE A FLAT-TOPPED MOUNTAIN (MESA)
A large, flat, table-like top is
distinguishable.
Pointed hill Flat-topped hill
contours are nearly circular and at
equal distances the inner two or three contours will
be close together
How to draw contour lines
Topographic contours connect points with the
same elevation. The trick to drawing these lines
is to discover where the points are that you need
to connect. This set of exercises will illustrate
how to determine where those lines should go by
looking for clues in three situations:
o If you know elevations at 3 or more points
If you know the route of a stream
If you know the location of depressions or
lakes
If you know the upstream and downstream
How to convert these numerical data of altitude into contour lines?

Numerical elevation data (in meters)


The contour line interval can be 5 m (i.e. the lines will be for 60, 65, 70, 75, 80,
85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115 & 120m), or 10 m (for 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, &
120) or 15 m (for 60, 75, 90, 105, & 120) etc.
A CLIFF OR WATERFALL

Where two or three contour lines lie


together, a perpendicular cliff is
indicated.
MOUNTAIN RANGES

The highest contour values in mountain


ranges are the middle of the pattern of
contours,
but high peaks will have separate points.
Rivers could occur here.
A POORT AND
NECK Narrow opening in a
mountain range, referred
to as a poort. The cliffs are
very steep, so contours are
close together on the map.

A neck occurs where a


lower point that is still
much higher than the
surrounding area occurs
between two hills.
A RIVER VALLEY AND A SPUR

In the case of a river valley, In the case of a spur,


the greatest height is to the outer the greatest height is to the
side and the land sinks down inner side and the land sinks
towards the inner side, down towards the outer side of
the spur.
Vertical Exaggeration
In some cases topographic relief of the
terrain is modest/ poor,
such as the case of small hills and other
subtle/fine features as opposed to mountainous
terrain,
In such situations the elevation profile may
only show small variations in elevation without
much detail of the topography.
 For this reason some amount of vertical
exaggeration (VE) is used
Vertical exaggeration = Vertical Scale
Horizontal (map)
scale
Example 1, if the vertical scale of the
topographic profile were 1"=1000', and that
of the horizontal scale were 1"=2000', then
the vertical exaggeration would be calculated
as below:
1
1000
V.E. = = 2x
1
2000
"Sometimes the length on the ground of
the profile is very great compared to the
RELIEF of the profile.

For example, the length of the profile A-


B is 3.35 inches, which represents 3350
feet on the ground. But the relief (the
ups and downs) is at most 200 feet!"
"See what happens if you draw
profile A-B with the horizontal
and vertical scales the same!

The whole vertical distance


from the bottom to the top of
the hill is only one-fifth of an
inch! (At one inch = 1000', 200'
= 1/5th inch!) That makes it
difficult to see which are the
steep and less steep slopes of
the hill!"
"And just imagine if the
horizontal scale was 1" =
5000', instead of 1" = 1000'!
If you had no vertical
exaggeration and made the
vertical scale 1" = 5000' also,

the whole relief of the hill


would have to fit into 1/25th
of an inch! The hill becomes
almost invisible!"
"if you do with some
vertical exaggeration! Like
maybe 25 times!

Now you see what the hill


is like, even if the slopes
are really gentler than they
look here!"

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