topographic maps
Elevation-showing land diagrams
Topographic maps represent terrain features through contour lines—closed curves connecting points of equal elevation.
The lines show not just where hills and valleys are, but how steep they are: closely spaced contours indicate steep slopes, widely spaced ones indicate gentle grades.
Hikers, surveyors, and military planners use topographic maps to understand landforms that flat maps obscure.
We studied the topo map before attempting the ridge trail.
- contour linesLines joining equal elevations
- elevationHeight above reference point
- sea levelElevation reference point
- scaleMeasure of relative size
- map readingInterpreting geographic diagrams
trail map · watershed · terrain · landforms · USGS · land survey · cartography · remote sensing · symbology · projection · surveying · georeferencing · relief map · datum · slope · legend · valleys · ridges
- Geographic Mapspolitical maps, physical maps, regional maps, elevation maps, terrain maps
- Mappingmap, digital maps, compass rose, GPS, latitude
- mapsroad map, world map, atlases, street map, regional map
- atlas contentspolitical maps, road maps, climate maps, relief maps, state maps
- Geography Resourcesmap, maps, atlas, atlases, globe
- navigation termsnautical charts, GPS, north, road signs, maps
topographic mapsroad atlases
Bound volumes of highway maps
political maps · street maps · road maps · highway maps · city maps
topographic mapsaerial photographs
Pictures taken from altitude
satellite imagery · Google Street View · landscape paintings