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Lab_ Topographic Map

The document outlines a lab focused on understanding topographic maps, including contour lines, elevation, and stream flow. It contains questions and activities designed to enhance students' skills in interpreting topographic features and determining elevations. The lab is divided into three parts, emphasizing the importance of contour lines, topographic profiles, and practical applications of map reading.

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5 views

Lab_ Topographic Map

The document outlines a lab focused on understanding topographic maps, including contour lines, elevation, and stream flow. It contains questions and activities designed to enhance students' skills in interpreting topographic features and determining elevations. The lab is divided into three parts, emphasizing the importance of contour lines, topographic profiles, and practical applications of map reading.

Uploaded by

greenjessica7580
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lab: Topographic Maps

GEO1011: Physical Geography - Landforms

Part A: Understanding Contour Lines


Review the Rules for Contour Lines in D2L. Refer back to this document often to successfully
complete this lab. Understanding how to read a topographic map will be crucial to completing
future assignments in this course.

Watch the 15-minute video: Introduction to Topographic Maps to answer the following
questions related to reading topographic maps.

1. What is the purpose of a topographic


map?

2. When reading a topographic map,


describe how the contour lines appear
when viewing a cliff.

3. In 2-3 sentences, explain how you find


the contour interval, when it is not
provided in the key.

4. What is the purpose of a compass rose?

5. Using the map of the Mill River area


from the video (6:08), what is the
elevation at point Z?

6. Understanding which way water is


flowing is an important skill. Using the
Long Creek map from the video (7:45),
which direction is the Long Creek
flowing?
7. Provide a description of how you used
the contour lines to determine the flow
of Long Creek.

(Write or draw your explanation)

8. Refer to the Trout Stream map from the


video (8:30). List two ways that we
could identify the flow of a stream using
a topographic map.

9. Concentric circles indicate a hill (9:03)


or depression (12:57). Using the Mill
River area map, how deep is the bottom
of the depression?

10. In the space provided, summarize what you just learned.

Three things you didn't know before:

1.

2.

3.

Two things that surprised you about reading topographic maps:

1.

2.

One thing you want to start doing with what you learned:

1.
Part B: Topographic Profiles
Match the contour drawings and profiles with the corresponding written description. Use the
drawings provided below. (For the contour drawings, assume north is toward the top of the
page­.)

1. Profile C is a relatively round hill with


twin summits. Which contour drawing
(number) matches profile C?

2. Which profile (letter) and contour


drawing (number) best represent a
single summit with a steeper slope on
the east side?

3. Describe profile A (indicate steepness,


number of summits). Which contour
drawing best represents profile A?

4. This single summit has its steepest slope


on the north side; the other slopes are
gentle? Which profile and contour
drawing best represent this description.

5. This contour drawing indicates a gentle


eastern slope and a steep western slope.
Which profile best matches this
description?
Part C: Determining Elevations from a Contour Map
Answer the following quesitons using the topographic map (on THIS page), and refer to the Rules of
Contour Lines in the Lab Module for extra guidance.

Hint: If a point is not directly on a contour line, you cannot determine the exact location; you only
know the range between 2 values. Do not guess at the elevation; provide the range the point falls
between.
1. What is the contour interval of the map?

2. What is the elevation of the contour at Point A?

3. Because point D lies between 2 contour lines, the elevation of point D is ________.
Highlight the right answer.
· the same elevation as the next contour line downslope.
· somewhere between the elevations of the 2 contour lines between which it lies; you
should give a range for its elevation.
· somewhere between the elevations of the 2 contour lines between which it lies; you
should make a best guess at its elevation.
· If a point is not directly on a contour line, there is no way to determine its elevation.

4. What is the range of values for the elevation at Point D?

5. What do the concentric rings around point C indicate?


Highlight the right answer
· The concentric rings indicate that point C is on a very flat surface.
· The concentric rings indicate that point C is at the bottom of a pit or a depression.
· The concentric rings indicate that point C is a hill or a peak.
· The concentric rings indicate that point C is in the bottom of a valley.

6. What do you know about the elevation of the summit at the point C?
Highlight the right answer
· Point C is the same elevation as the next contour line upslope.
· The elevation of point C cannot be determined based on the information provided.
· Because point C is not directly on a contour line, you cannot determine the exact
location; you only know the range between 2 values. In this case you know point C is
higher than the contour line that surrounds it. Also, because there is not an additional
contour line, you know that the summit does not reach the elevation of the next higher
contour line, and therefore point C has to be lower than the next higher contour line.
· Because point C is not directly on a contour line, you can only guess at its location.

7. What is the range of values for the elevation at Point C?

8. What is the elevation of the hachured contour at Point E?

9. What is the range of values for the elevation at Point F?

10. Assuming the top of the map is north, in which direction does the major stream flow?

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