How Do You Read A Topographic Map Color? - Fixanswer

For example, USGS standard 7.5-minute topographic maps are printed using these colors: Black for cultural features, boundaries, and names . Blue for water features. Red for highway classifications, built-up areas, fence lines, and U.S. Public Land Survey lines. ... Brown for topographic features, including contour lines.

How do you read a topographic map?

The first number of the scale is always one. It’s your unit of measurement, usually an inch. The second number is the ground distance. For example, if your U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) map has a scale of 1:24,000, it means that 1 inch on the map is equal to 24,000 inches (2,000 feet or 610 meters) in the real world.

What is the colour of contour lines in topographic map?

The colors of the lines usually indicate similar classes of information: topographic contours ( brown ); lakes, streams, irrigation ditches, and other hydrographic features (blue); land grids and important roads (red); and other roads and trails, railroads, boundaries, and other cultural features (black).

What three things do topographic maps show?

Topographic maps are a detailed record of a land area, giving geographic positions and elevations for both natural and man-made features. They show the shape of the land the mountains, valleys, and plains by means of brown contour lines (lines of equal elevation above sea level).

What do the numbers mean on a topographic map?

Horizontal distance is found on the scale. As you look at the map, notice that the contour lines enclose smaller and smaller areas. The smallest circles represent the tops of peaks, and some are marked with x’s with numbers next to them. The numbers are the elevation at the top of the peak .

What are the 3 types of contour lines?

Contour lines are of three different kinds. They are the Index lines, Intermediate lines and the Supplementary lines .

What are the 5 colors on a map?

Black. Stands for man made objects.
Brown. Stands for contour, elevation, and relief.
Blue. Stands for water.
Green. Stands for vegetation.
Red. Stands for densely populated areas and other man made objects.

What are the symbols on a topographic map?

Brown lines – contours (note that intervals vary)
Black lines – roads, railroads, trails, and boundaries.
Red lines – survey lines (township, range, and section lines)
Blue areas – streams and solid is for larger bodies of water.
Green areas – vegetation, typically trees or dense foliage.

What are topographic features?

Topography describes the physical features of an area of land . These features typically include natural formations such as mountains, rivers, lakes, and valleys. Manmade features such as roads, dams, and cities may also be included. Topography often records the various elevations of an area using a topographical map.

Who would use a topographic map?

Who uses topography maps? Hikers, campers, snow skiers, city and county planners , the Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, miners, loggers, highway planners and construction workers, travelers, surveyors, geologists, engineers, and scientists are just a few of the people who use topographic maps.

What are the features of topographic map?

Topographic maps are a detailed record of a land area, giving geographic positions and elevations for both natural and man-made features. They show the shape of the land the mountains, valleys, and plains by means of brown contour lines (lines of equal elevation above sea level).

How can you identify a steep area on a topographic map?

Closely-spaced contour lines indicate a steep slope, because the elevation changes quickly in a small area.
Contour lines that seem to touch indicate a very steep rise, like a cliff or canyon wall.
Broadly spaced contour lines indicate a shallow slope.

What are the six rules for reading a topographic map?

Rule 1: Slope. The closer the lines are, the steeper the slope. ...
Rule 2: Flow and Source of a River/Stream. ...
Rule 3: Mountains and Hills. ...
Rule 4: Highest possible elevation of a hill/mountain. ...
Rule 5: Depressions. ...
Rule 6: Lowest possible elevation of a depression.

How do you calculate distance on a topographic map?

How do I measure distance on a map? Use the scale bar found at the bottom of every NRCan topographic map to determine distances between points or along lines on the map sheet. Use the secondary division on the left of the scale bar for measuring fractions of a kilometre.

What are the 5 Rules of contour lines?

Rule 1 – every point of a contour line has the same elevation. Rule 2 – contour lines separate uphill from downhill. Rule 3 – contour lines do not touch or cross each other except at a cliff. Rule 4 – every 5th contour line is darker in color .