ROAD SCHOLARS 2014 EVENT OVERVIEW

MARK A. VANHECKE NATIONAL SCIENCE OLYMPIAD EARTH-SPACE SCIENCE EVENT CHAIR NSO ROAD SCHOLARS EVENT SUPERVISOR 1999/2000 PRESENTED BY:

PRESENTATION OBJECTIVES: Provide participants with an overview of the 2014 Road Scholars Event Identify the basic features of topographic maps Describe how contour lines are created and used in USGS topographic maps Use contour lines to create basic and advanced map profiles

WHAT IS A TOPOGRAPHIC MAP? 2014 ROAD SCHOLARS

ACTIVITY 1: Basic Map Features In this activity, you will create a map of a cookie

ACTIVITY 1: Creating a Topographic Profile of a Cookie In so doing, you will do the following: Identify the basic features of a map Create and use a coordinate system to locate objects on the map Determine the map scale Create a simple topographic profile

BASIC MAP FEATURES Place your cookie in the center of the grid shown on the ‘Creating a Cookie Profile’ Worksheet.

BASIC MAP FEATURES Trace the outline of your cookie on the profile sheet. When you finish tracing the outline, remove your cookie and place it on a napkin directly above the Worksheet.

BASIC MAP FEATURES Determine the cardinal directions for your map (North/East/South/West) and fill in the Compass Rose (four arrows) at the bottom right of the Worksheet. N E S W

BASIC MAP FEATURES Your compass rose should look something like this. N E S W

BASIC MAP FEATURES Identify the height and width of your cookie in squares. How many squares tall is your cookie from North to South? How many squares of the grid does it cover at its widest point from West to East? N E S W H= Squares W= Squares

BASIC MAP FEATURES Identify places on the cookie where the surface material is different (chocolate chips). Use the squares on the map to help you place objects into your map-find the approximate square on the grid and draw in the chocolate chip. Shade or color in the chips.

BASIC MAP FEATURES Create a legend for your map indicating what the chocolate chips represent (lakes, ponds, ore deposits, etc.)

BASIC MAP FEATURES Determine the map scale (number of miles/kilometers, etc. one square is equal to) 20

BASIC MAP FEATURES Title your map using a name that indicates the location and type of features shown in the map. Island 20

TITLE ORIENTATION AREA DETAIL 20 ISLAND

ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF A MAP TITLE ORIENTATION AREA DETAIL

CONTOUR LINES 2014 ROAD SCHOLARS

CONTOUR LINES Control points are positions on Earth’s surface and represented on a map from which measurements are made.

CONTOUR LINES Benchmarks (BM) are locations where horizontal position and elevation have been accurately surveyed.

CONTOUR LINES Horizontal control benchmarks on USGS topographic maps are locations where the geographic coordinates are certain. Hotchkiss, CO Sector 7

CONTOUR LINES Vertical control benchmarks on USGS topographic maps indicate the elevation of that control point with respect to sea level. Hotchkiss, CO Sector 5

CONTOUR LINES Spot elevations- the height of identifiable features such as mountain summits, road intersections and surfaces of lakes may also be shown on maps. Hotchkiss, CO Sector 3

CONTOUR LINES On topographic maps, a contour line is a line representing constant elevation Hotchkiss, CO Sector 5

CONTOUR LINES Contour lines never intersect Hotchkiss, CO Sector 6

CONTOUR LINES Thick contour lines are called Index contours. Index contours are labeled with a number revealing the elevation of points along the line. Hotchkiss, CO Sector 6

CONTOUR LINES Thinner, unmarked contour lines are interval lines. Interval lines are used to calculate changes in elevation using the map’s contour interval Hotchkiss, CO Sector 6

CONTOUR LINES Contour lines are separated by a constant specified distance- the contour interval

CONTOUR LINES Points lying between contour lines are interpolated to determine elevation Hotchkiss, CO Sector 6

CONTOUR LINES Evenly spaced contours form a uniform slope Hotchkiss, CO Sector 4

CONTOUR LINES Widely spaced contours indicate a gentle slope Hotchkiss, CO Sector 5

CONTOUR LINES Contour lines that are close together indicate a steep slope, a wall or cliff. Hotchkiss, CO Sector 2

CONTOUR LINES Jagged, rough contour lines indicate large outcrops of rock, cliffs and areas of fracture Hotchkiss, CO Sector 1

CONTOUR LINES V-shaped contours indicate stream beds and narrow valleys. The point of the ‘V’ points uphill or downstream Hotchkiss, CO Sector 1

CONTOUR LINES U-shaped contours indicate ridges The bottom of the ‘V’ points down the ridge Hotchkiss, CO Sector 2

CONTOUR LINES A ‘saddle’ is a ridge between two hills or summits Hotchkiss, CO Sector 1

CONTOUR LINES ‘M’ or ‘W’ shaped contours indicate a location upstream from stream junctions. Hotchkiss, CO Sector 2

ACTIVITY 2: Creating a Topographic Profile of a Cookie In this activity, you will create a topographic profile of a cookie

CREATING A TOPOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF A COOKIE Return to your Cookie Map

CREATING A TOPOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF A COOKIE Examine your cookie and identify ‘changes’ in elevation on its surface. Take some time to really look at it and get the lay of the land

CREATING A TOPOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF A COOKIE Place tiny dots on the cookie map that indicate a constant elevation and draw lines to connect these points of constant elevation.

Island 20

DRAWING A TOPOGRAPHIC MAP PROFILE 2014 ROAD SCHOLARS

COOKIE PROFILE GRAPH

TOPOGRAPHIC MAP PROFILES Use the USGS Gosford, California Quadrangle to locate Fraser Road in the upper third of Sector 5

TOPOGRAPHIC MAP PROFILES Take a strip of paper as shown below and mark off where it intersects each contour line.

TOPOGRAPHIC MAP PROFILES Take a strip of paper as shown below and mark off where it intersects each contour line

TOPOGRAPHIC MAP PROFILES Create a graph as shown below ranging approximately from the lowest elevation to the highest elevation

TOPOGRAPHIC MAP PROFILES Place the strip below the graph and mark off the first elevation 373’ at zero X XX XX X X

TOPOGRAPHIC MAP PROFILES Connect the points to create the profile

TOPOGRAPHIC MAP PROFILES On the Hotchkiss, Colorado Quadrangle, complete a profile for the location shown in the upper right of Sector 4 A B

TOPOGRAPHIC MAP PROFILES Connect the points to create the profile

RESOURCES 2014 ROAD SCHOLARS

RESOURCES Topographic Maps included on the CD include: Hotchkiss, Colorado Gosford, California You can find and download other USGS Topographic Maps at aplocator/(xcm=r3standardpitrex_prd&l ayout=6_1_61_50_2&uiarea=2&ctype= areaDetails&carea= )/.do