SLO 5- Maps

Topographic Mapping

A topographic map is a map that is created by geologists that is able to look at the features of a certain location and the different layers it is made out of. It is able to tell us how old the location is, the type of material it is made out of, and the height of the location as well. We are able to know these things by the features that are in a topographic map such as contour lines, depths, intervals, gradients, and heights.

We are able to measure the height and the distance from the different elevations by contour lines. The contour lines are able to create an outline of what a mountain looks like and tells us about the distance from each elevation.

Gradients

Gradients help us identify the distance between each point or elevation. This tells us how high it is but also how steep it is. Each line is a point and the smaller one towards the middle is where the peak of the mountain is at.

Depths

The depth can tell us the depths of the ocean or river but also how deep the mountain goes into the earth's crust.

Heights & Intervals

We can tell the height of something by looking at the contour lines. The more the lines are closer together, it is steeper or vice versa. When we look at the top view of a map, we can see the elevation but when we look at it on a side view after graphing it, we can see how tall it can be.

The intervals are able to tell us how far the contour lines are from each other. It tells us the distance, the slope, but also which direction the lines are going.

All of these aspects of a topographic map are important because they tell us different features of the land. We are able to see the different aspects of the environment around a certain location, see how it came to be based on what it is made out of or what material is around that area, and look at its unique features. These factors help us analyze how high something might be, the slope of a mountain, and the depth of it.

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