Name: ___________________________ Period: ________ Date: _________

(­

Map Reading Activity: Topography-=ff I

Topographic Map (vitia eentear lines t"at sllev peints tllet ere •• the same level)

50m ____~-__~-~--~--~--~~~~~--~--~--­
40m____~--+--T--~~~~~--~~~~~--~--~--­
30m____~____~~_____~~-~-----~--~--~--­
20m____~~~------------------------3~--_+---
IOm ____~-----------------------------------~--­
See level= O____~-~----------..;©E.;;;nch.;;.;.;.;;«1;;.;t.;,;;Pdl~•.;;;ar.;.;n~inq~.co;;;m~­
The tw'o hills seen from the side, \oIith elevetions merked end dotted
lines poi nti nq to the corr~pondi ng contour lines .

1. Color the elevations on the topographic map as follows. Red: 50m and higher,
Orange: 40-50m, Yellow: 30-40m, Light green: 20-3Om, Dark green: ·10-20m, Purple:
O-lOm.

2. Approximately how tall is Able Hill? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

3. Approximately how tall is Baker Hill?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

4. Which mountain is taller, and by about how much?----------

5. How many meters of elevation are there between contour lines on the topographic
map? _____________________________

6. Which mountain has steeper slopes?____________ How can you

tell?
------------------~-------------------------------­
Name: Date:_ _ _ _ __

Map Reading Activity: Topography #2

Topographic Map (vitlt co.t••,. lian t_t s-..v ,.i.b tltat en •• ,I.e __ 1...,.0

. .
fblt ~il~ o.~ Hill:
50 m ____~~~~~-=~~~~----~----~----~--------~~----
40 m-----T~~~-----;~_rT------r----~----~--+_~--_r~-----
30m____~~~------~~~------~--~----~----------~----
20m----_r~~-------r~~------r---~----~--~_r--_r~----
10. ____~----------~~~~----~----~----r_--------~~----
Seal~I=OI ________~~~~~__~__~__~~~~~~__~~~~~____
The t....o hi lis seen from the side ..... ith elevations marked and dotted!
@E"nchanledL.eaming.com lines poi nti ng to the correspondi ng contour Ii Ile$.

1. Color the elevations on the topographic map as follows. Red: 50m and higher, Orange: 40­
50m, Yellow: 30-40m, Light
... ..
~
green: . .
20-30m,
.
Dark
.. .. .
green: .IO-20m,
. .-
Purple:
.
0-lOm.
2. Finish the mountain diagram below the topographic map, completing Oak Hill and drawing
Ash Hill with proper elevations.
3. ApprOXimately how
.
tall is Ash Hill?
.. .

4. ApprOXimately how tall is Oak

.
Hill? .
5. Which mountain is taller?
6. How many meters of elevation are there between contour .Iines onthe topogro.pn\c. tMp?
7. Are the contour lines closer together on Ash Hill or Oak Hill?
8. Which mountain has steeper slopes?
I NAME:
------------------------------------- DATE: ---------­
INTERPRETING CONTOUR UNES

OBJECTIVE: To interpret information from contour lines on a map.

DIRECTIONS: Referring to the attached contour map, answer the following questions:

1. What is the contour interval of the map? _________________

How did you determine this?____________________________________

2. Which side of the Ni Ie Rive is steeper? _________________________

How do you know this? ____________________________________

3. How is a hilltop represented? ______________________________

How many hilltops are on the map? ________________________________

4. What is the feature of D? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

5. Give the elevations for the points listed by letter. If the letter is on the contour
line, then give the exact elevation)

A ______________ B,________ C ________

D__________ E F ______
-----------------­
G _____________ H _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I _ _ _ _ _ __

6. Which directions do the follo~ing streams flow? (Their general trend)

Silver Creek _______ Nile River ______ Don't Know Creek ______

What is the rule that you used to determine the direction of the above streams?
 -•
I:­

--'"
c:

J
•
 NAME: ________________________________ DATE: _________

TOPOGRAPHIC MAP WORKSHEET #1

Use the attached map to answer the following questions:

1. Define contour line _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

2. Determine the contour interval of this map: .=;CI=--=_----___~f!....!..t

3. What is the rule for reading the first depression contour like the one
in the S.E. corner of the map?

4. What is the elevation of point K? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

5. What is the elevation of point N? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

6. What is the maximum elevation of point A? _______________

7. What is the physical feature in the area of point A called?

8. What is the elevation of point E? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

9. What is the elevation of point D? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

10.What is the elevation of point X? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

11. What is the rule about contour lines that cross rivers?
.... ~.-
12.What direction does Blue River flow? _ _ _ _ _ _ __

13. Which side of Pine Peak is the steepest? _ _ _ _ __

14. How could you tell which side is steeper?

15. What is the distance in miles between point B and point E?

_____ miles

TopodraphiC Map Wor1<sheet 11

. . I

IN OCEAN ·

. , 2 .
.. " . 1" I I· I I ·I I
SCALE IN MILES . ........

 Nome _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Dote _ _ _ _ Closs ____

2':4 Interpreting Topographic Maps

Topographic maps consist of several parts. The parts are a scale, contour interval, and latitude and
longitude for location. A map scale is a fixed ratio between a unit of measure on the map and the
distance (in the same unit) on the surface. Map scale ratios can be Written as fractions such as 1124000.
Maps can be classified as large scale or sma)) scale. The map With the smaller denominator in its map
scale is the larger scale map. Large-scale maps usually show more detail.
Contour intervals show how the elevation changes in an area. Locating directions on a topographic
map is by custom. The top of the map, when held in the normal viewing position, is north.
Use the diagrams below to help you interpret topographic maps.
FIGURE 2-3 FIGURE 2-4

Scale: 1:2.4 000 Contour interval : 50 feet Scale: 1:62 500 Contour interval: 20 feet

1. The 1 on each map scale represents 1 inch. What unit does 24 000 represent? ________
" ,.&
2. Which is the larger scale map? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -_ _ _ __

Explain.
3. Which of the hills shown covers a larger area? --~-----------_ _ _ __

4. Howdoyouknow?----------------------------------______
5. Which of the hills is steeper? - - - - - - - - - -__________________

6. H o w d o y o u k n o w ? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -_ __
7. Write the contour interval for each of the areas shown below in the space provided.

FIGURE 2-5 FIGURE 2-6 FIGURE 2-1

_ _ _ _ft _ _ _ _ft ---,-_ _ _ft

8. In which direction does the land slope in each of the Figures in Question 7? - _ _ _ _ _ __

15

r- - ---­
 I 'It"l'" ,Itill/wm '-dow 1,1 (/l/lll'l'r (jiles/ions 9-/2.

~\
I

Ir
Scale: 1 em == 10000 em FIGURE 2-8 Contour inlerval : 500 em

9. In which direction does the Buck River flow? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

10. How do you know? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

It. Estimate or measure the approximate width of the Buck River in millimeters. What is it? _ __

12. Since 1 centimeter is 10 millimeters, and the scale of this topographic map is 1 cm = 10 000 cm,
what is the actual approximate width of the Buck River? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

16