Question

Describe the features shown in the topographic map. Be specific about directions and elevations. Explain how you know what each feature is.

Answer 1

Do you know what the meanings of the lines in the map?

Answer 2

The closer the lines are to each other, the steeper the land. The lines also have numbers telling you the elevation. The heights and steepness should allow you to guess the land features.

Answer 3

The map might be of a canyon, because it gets really steep on both sides of a river in the middle. From the river the land elevation clearly increases. By the way, I'm only assuming that the blue line in the middle is a river.

Answer 4

Lines indicate points of equal elevations. Choose any line above the smallest elevation. If a ball, for example, were put on this line of equal elevation, then it would roll in a direction exactly perpendicular to it. This would happen for any line of equal elevation. Each line is separated by 100. So, the closer the lines are to each other, the faster the descent of this ball, indicating locations where the gradient is larger. So, if you were to draw small lines perpendicular to all these equal elevations and traced a line from the highest point to the lowest, our ball would be forced to follow these gradients. The ball would "seek" those elevations that induce the smallest gradient, leading it into either a local valley or globally, the smallest elevation. If our ball were a drop of water, it would collect into this same area. If there were lots of water, it would form a lake. If our lowest point had a gradient of its own, it would be a river, with water flowing perpendicular to its points of equal elevation. It appears that our lowest point here has a gradient and water would flow generally to the southeast.