1. Show the Shape of the Land
Topographic Maps
Show the Shape of the Land

2. Talk with a partner
What information can you get from looking at this map?

3. Talk with a partner
Does this map tell you anything about the physical land?
Does this map tell you anything about hills, valleys, or roads that travel uphill/downhill?

4. What is a Topographic Map?
Imagine you are on a vacation with your family in a national park. You have a trail map but the map does not tell you anything about what the land looks like. Will you have to cross any rivers or valleys? How far uphill or downhill will you have to hike?
A topographic map tells you something about the topography or the shape of the land.
It represents a 3D landscape using 2D drawings.

5. Topography Is the shape, or features of the land.
Features can be natural (mountains, plateaus, plains)
Features can be man-made (dams, roads)
A flat map that uses lines to show Earth’s features.

6. Contour Lines Wiggly lines on a contour map
Show areas of elevation, slope, and relief

7. Elevation How high above sea level an area is.
Can range from a few meters to several thousand meters above sea level.

8. Slope Tells how steep an area is.
The more gradual the slope, the farther apart the contour lines will be.
The steeper the slope, the closer together the contour lines.

9. Which hike would be steeper?
From point A to B
From point C to D C D B A

10. Relief The difference between an areas high and low points.
If you subtract the lowest elevation on the map from the areas highest elevation you get a measure of the area’s relief.
Check: what is the difference between elevation and slope?
Elevation: height above sea level
Slope: Steepness of the land

11. Rules for Successful Contouring Rule #1
Every point along a contour line represents the same elevation.
This entire line represents feet above sea level.
The space in-between each contour line is called the contour interval which tells you the change in elevation.
1200
1150
1250

12. Rules for Successful Contouring Rule #2
Contour lines NEVER split or divide!
Can’t happen!
1150
1200
1150
1250

13. Rules for Successful Contouring Rule #3
This is fine!
Contour lines cannot just stop. They must either form a closed loop, or run off the edge of your map.
What’s the elevation here???
1100
1200
1150
1250 ? ?

14. Rules for Successful Contouring Rule #4
Contour lines NEVER, EVER cross
What’s going on?? Is this area above or below feet?
1100
1200
1150
1250 ?

15. Tip 1: What does contour line spacing indicate?
The closer together the contour lines are, the steeper the hill is. The more spread apart they are, the gentler the slope. Traveling along the red line would be much steeper than traveling along the green line.

16. Tip 2: Which way is the stream flowing?
When contour lines cross a stream or river, they form v-shaped kinks in the lines that always point upstream.
Also remember - Water always flows DOWNHILL!
Blue Creek flow towards the East.

17. Tip 3: Finding the hill tops
Hill tops are easy to find. Just look for the concentric closed contour lines that form the top of a hill. Notice the contour lines that form the two peaks below.

18. TOPO QUIZ Now its time to test your topography map reading skills
TOPO QUIZ Now its time to test your topography map reading skills. Good Luck!!

19. What landform do you think this map depicts? a. Valley b. Mountain
If you traveled from point A to point B, would you be going uphill or downhill?
What landform do you think this map depicts?
a. Valley
b. Mountain
c. Plain
700
750 A
800 X
825 B

20. 3. What is the approximate elevation at the top of this hill?b c
4. Which hike would be steeper, from A to B or from C to D? C D
1200 B
1150 A
1100

21. 5. In which direction does Maple Creek flow? Northeast Southwest
Can’t tell from information given
6. What is the contour interval of this map? 50
100
400
800
600
700
500
Maple Creek

22. Answers to Quiz 1) Uphill 2) Mountain 3) 1240 4) C to D 5) Northeast
3) 1240
4) C to D
5) Northeast
6) 100