How can a flat map show the very uneven surface of the earth?

Topographic maps Topographic maps show the variations in elevation over the landscape. Topographic maps show elevation by using contour lines.

Contour lines Contour lines: connect points that have the same elevation show topography with their shape and spacing can be drawn to show intervals (ex. 50m, 100m, 150m) in elevation Contour Lines in intervals of 20m

Reading Topographic Maps

Steps to Reading a Topographic Map 1. the closer the spacing, the steeper the slope (smaller and smaller loops indicates a mountain/hill)

Steps to Reading a Topographic Map 2. flat places have widely spaced lines

Steps to Reading a Topographic Map 3. cliffs have very closely spaced lines

Steps to Reading a Topographic Map 4. contour lines that cross a valley are V- shaped (if a stream or river flows in the valley, the Vs point upstream

8 th Grade Science

The world is round!! It was proved beyond reasonable doubt some time ago that the World is round. Strangely, road maps still show the World as if it were completely flat - few, if any, indications are given as to the rise and fall of the ground which we are all aware of in the natural course of events.

Flat map This is what a regular “flat” map looks like. As you can see it is kind of dull and has no detail. All it shows is the roads and water ways,no mountains or hills or valleys. And why would anyone bother making two roads to the same place? Bo ring way is much straighter and faster than dingle road.

Three dimensional map Now you can see why there are two roads leading to one place dingle road is probably much older and scenic than Bo ring way and Bo ring way most likely has little if any scenery, but this map is not contour yet. This 3-d map does not show how high the mountains are and you can not see the other side of the mountains.

Finally a contour map Here is a contour map, it shows all of the sides of the mountain and tells how high they are, the contour interval is how many feet the mountain goes up between each line. The contour interval on this map is 200 feet, that means each space between the lines is 200 feet.

Imagine a man flew over these three islands, landed and painted a line around the base of the island and marked it zero feet

The next day sea level rose unexpectedly and the man flew back over went to the new level and marked it 500 feet

The same man kept doing this every day, now sea level is at 1000 feet

1500 feet

2000 feet and Mt. Tipster is a separate island

2500 feet, Mt. Riddle and Mt. Ginger are no longer connected and Mt. Tipster is sunk under water

3000 feet and Mt. Riddle is almost gone.

3500 feet, Mt. Riddle is gone and Mt. Ginger has little land left

One more time before 4000 and nothing is left above sea level.

Then the next day sea level dropped right back down to 0 feet and all the marks could be seen.