1. Aim: How can we construct a topographic profile?
Thanks to Mr. DeMarco

2. Steps for topographic profile
Make a line across the section that you want to profile.
Take out a piece of scrap paper, line it up across your line and make a tick at “a” and “b”
Make a mark where each contour line crosses AB on your scrap paper
Label the elevation of each contour line on your scrap paper

3. Steps for constructing a topographic profile continued
5. Make your x axis as long as your “AB” line 6. Hold your scrap paper page up to the profile. Transfer the tick marks directly onto the profile at the correct elevation 7. Connect the dots

4. The first step:
Make a line across the section that you would like to profile.
It is possible that this may already be done for you.

6. Notice line AB

7. If we were to look at a profile view of line AB on our topographic map, what might we expect to see? Predictions?
Time to FIND OUT!
Step 2

8. Take out a piece of scrap paper

9. Make a small tick at A and B
Step 2
Make a small tick at A and B

10. Step 2

11. Make a small tick where each contour line crosses
Step 3
Make a small tick where each contour line crosses
AB on your scrap paper

12. Step 3

13. Label each tick mark with the correct value!
Step 4
Label each tick mark with the correct value!

14. Step 5
Make the X-axis exactly as long as line AB. Label it as “distance”

15. Next, decide what the HIGHEST and LOWEST elevation values are that line AB crosses on your topographic map and create a scale. You may wish to increase your scale by the contour interval on the map to make things easier. In this case, we are going up by 10’s, because our contour interval on the map is 10 meters.

16. Remember Labels and Units!

17. Step 6
Hold your scrap paper page up to the profile. Transfer the tick marks directly onto the profile at the correct elevation

18. .

19. straight edge may help

21. Step 7
connect the dots!

22. This is what you might expect the “profile” or cross section view of line AB to look like!

23. Does it make sense. SURE. There is a creek flowing through this region
Does it make sense? SURE! There is a creek flowing through this region. Think about where it would flow on your profile. We also recognize the V shaped contour lines that indicate the direction of water flow.

24. Questions
Before starting your first profile you need to create 3 questions about topographic profiles.
Use 1 level 1 one level 2 one level 3

25. YOU DID IT!