A contour line is a line drawn on a topographic map to indicate ground elevation or depression . A contour interval is the vertical distance or difference in elevation between contour lines.
How do you use contour lines on a map?
Put simply, contour lines mark points of equal elevation on a map . If you trace the length of a line with your finger, each point you touch is the same height above sea level. If you were to walk the path of a contour line in real life, you would remain at the same elevation the whole hike, never traveling up or down.
What do lines on a contour map indicate?
A topographic map illustrates the topography , or the shape of the land, at the surface of the Earth. The topography is represented by contour lines, which are imaginary lines. Every point on a particular contour line is at the same elevation. These lines are generally relative to mean sea level.
Why are contour lines used in a map?
Contour lines are lines drawn on a map with equal elevation points, so elevation would be constant if you followed the contour line physically. The elevation and terrain shape of the contour lines shows. It is useful because they show the form of the land surface on the map –its topography.
What are contour lines short answer?
Answer: Contour line, a line on a map representing an imaginary line on the land surface , all points of which are at the same elevation above a datum plane, usually mean sea level. ... Numbers on the lines give the height in feet. (Sea level is zero.) Lines drawn closely together indicate that a slope is steep.
What are 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 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 .
How do you get contour lines?
The two ways to establish a contour map are the cross-section method and the trace contour method . To use the cross-section method, set a control or reference line at the center of the lot, then lay out and stake a grid; the elevation is determined at each stake in the grid relative to a benchmark.
What is the other name of contour lines?
| contours hachures | isoheights isohypses | isolines |
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What is the use of contour lines?
The purpose of contour lines is to represent the tridimensional shape of the terrestrial surface on a bidimensional map . Contour lines are the intersection of an horizontal plane parallel to the reference level and the topographical surface to describe. Consequently: Contour lines are always closed curves.
What are the basic features of contour lines?
- Must close on themselves, on or off the map.
- Perpendicular to the direction of max. ...
- Slope between them is assumed uniform.
- The distance between them indicates the steepness of the slope, gentle or steep.
- Irregular signify rough, smooth signify gradual slopes.
Why do contour lines never cross?
Contour lines never cross on a topographic map because each line represents the same elevation level of the land .
What are contour lines for Class 8?
Contour lines are lines drawn on a topographic map connecting points of equal elevation . They are also called “level- lines”.
What is the Colour of contour lines?
The color brown is used to denote most contour lines on a map, which are relief features and elevations. Topographic maps use green to denote vegetation such as woods, while blue is used to denote water features like lakes, swamps, rivers, and drainage.
What are contour lines Class 9?
Contour lines are lines drawn on a map connecting points of equal elevation . If we walk along contour line we neither gain or lose elevation. The contour line represented by the shoreline separates areas that have elevations above sea level from those that have elevations below sea level.
