Topographic Maps

More than a Road Map

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What is a Topographic Map?

Scaled

representation of features on the surface of the Earth such as roads, rivers, and plains Provides information about land elevations and landforms such as mountains, hills, and depressions

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Map Scale
Maps always have a scale printed somewhere on the map. For USGS maps it is at the bottom. On USGS the map portion below, the scale is 1:24,000. That means that 1 on the map is 24,000 on the ground or 1 on the map is 24,000 on the ground.

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There are also scales that can be used to determine distance for many different units using a ruler and the map scale.
1 mile 1/2 mile 1 mile

Map Scale

2000 feet 200 feet

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1 kilometer

Contour Lines
Elevation is indicated by contour lines. A contour line is a line of equal elevations. All points on a contour line have the same elevation.
r.htm http://raider.muc.edu/~mcnaugma/Topographic%20Maps/contou

800 feet

700 feet

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Contour Lines
The elevation difference from one line to another is called the contour interval. On the map portion below the contour interval is 20 ft.
r.htm http://raider.muc.edu/~mcnaugma/Topographic%20Maps/contou

20 ft elevation decrease

20 ft elevation increase

20 ft elevation increase

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Contour Lines
The contour interval is usually printed on a topographic map.

However, you can always calculate the interval from the lines with values.
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Steep or flat?
You can tell whether a region on a map is steep terrain (hill/mountain) or relatively flat (plain) by looking at contour lines. HOW?

We need to calculate a terrain gradient. This is the change in elevation over the change in distance along the ground.
Elevation (ft) Gradient = Ground Distance (mi)
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Steep or flat?

Elevation change 0.5 mile distance Elevation change 2170-2150 = 20 feet 1380-780 = 600 feet Gradient 20ft/0.5 mi = 40 ft/mi Gradient 600ft/0.5 mi = 1200 ft/mi Flat Steep
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Contours and Profiles

You can generate a profile of a landform from the contour lines on a topographic map.
http://reynolds.asu.edu/topo_gallery/images/hillmap.gif

Click on image to see contours develop

Simple contour map

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Contours and Profiles

http://reynolds.asu.edu/topo_gallery/images/hillmap.gif

From a contour plot we can draw an axis line.

We can then drop lines straight down to a grid labeled with elevations to the correct value.
Connecting the points generates a profile or cross-section of the map.

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Map Symbols
Topographic maps usually have a separate sheet with an explanation of map symbols. There is no room on the map for all the symbols
Sample page from USGS Topo Map Symbol Pamphlet
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Map Symbols
Marsh Houses Secondary Highway

Forest Stream

Intermittent Stream
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Tracking Flowing Water

How

does water always flow? DOWNHILL How can we tell what direction (N,S,NW,ESE) is downhill?

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Tracking Flowing Water

You can look for elevation changes since water will flow from higher to lower elevations. Here the stream flows toward the northwest.
2000 ft 2100 ft

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Tracking Flowing Water

You can look at the contour lines as they cross the stream. They will always point upstream.

Downstream
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Upstream

Tracking Flowing Water

You can also look at where two streams merge. The merge will form a V that points downstream.
Direction of flow

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Stream Gradients
You can determine a stream gradient along any section of a stream just like a terrain gradient.
elevation distance along stream 100 ft = 250 ft/mi 0.4 mi

2000 ft 0.4 miles

stream gradient =
2100 ft

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Bathymetric Maps
Maps of water depths are like topographic maps with contours. However, the contours are water depths, not elevations.

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