Contours, Cross-Sections and Relief Mapping

Relief indicates the variation in the nature of the land surface ie. "the lie of the land". It thus shows the broad features and relative heights of highlands and lowlands such as flood plains, spurs, hills, plateaux etc. Contouring is the standard method of representing relief on topographic maps. Contour lines are lines joining points of equal elevation on the surface of the ground. They can also be thought of as the lines of intersection between a series of horizontal planes and the ground surface. For a given map the vertical distance between adjacent contour lines or the contour interval is fixed. By examining the horizontal distance between successive contours it is possible to visually estimate the variation in slope of parts of the terrain. As the vertical distance between contours is the same, the closer the contour lines are together the steeper the slope. A more precise method determining the variation in slope is to construct a profile or cross section through the topography. By marking off the horizontal distance between contour lines along a base line and then plotting the elevation or altitude of these points, a profile can be drawn showing the gradient of slope and shape of the topography along the line of section (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: Representation of topography by contouring contour map (above) and profile along AB (below).

Year 9 Humanities Term One- The Coast

Contour Worksheet

Contour lines are fine lines that join places that are the same height above sea level. Every point along the contour line is the same height. The difference between height between one contour and the next (called the contour intervals) is the same all over the map. A contour map can be used to show the shape, slope, gradient of the land and the type of landforms that the area has. If the contours are widely spaced, the slop is gentle. If the contour lines are close together the slope is steep. If the contour lines are almost on top of each other then it represents a cliff. Contour lines crossing a stream valley will form a "V" shape pointing in the uphill (and upstream) direction. A spur is a U shape that points away from a higher land point. 1. When would a contour map be used? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2. What does the space between contour lines represent? __________________________ 3. If the contour lines are far apart what type of slope is it? __________________________ 4. If the contour lines are close together what type of slope is it? _____________________ 5. If the contour lines are almost on top of each other, what type of slope is it? __________ 6. Can contour lines every cross? ______________________________________________
Draw the map of your landform below:

Year 9 Humanities Term One- The Coast

Cross Section Worksheet

A cross section is a side view or profile of the land, as if it was cut in two by a giant knife and then viewed side on. It gives an impression of what it would be like to walk in a straight line across the area, following the line of the cut.

A cross-section is a way of interpreting the pattern of contour lines between two points, and provides an excellent visual impression of the shape of the land. To measure: 1. Place a straight-edged piece of paper along the contour line map. 2. Mark the start and end of the places you need to measure. Mark the height of each contour line that occurs across that area.

3. Transfer your piece of paper to the graph paper. Use the vertical scale to plot each point, and then join each point with a smooth line.

1. What is a cross section? 2. When would a cross section be useful?