Have you ever gone long distance
hiking?
A new map which can help us solve all
these challenges!
What
observations
can you
make?
First important definition
• Contour lines join points of equal
elevation (height) above a given level,
such as sea level.
• Try p. 7 #1 What cities are at the same
elevation?
Point to the contour line.
How many contour lines are there in
this picture?
Second important definition
• The vertical distance between the
elevations represented by two
neighboring contour lines on a map is
called contour interval.
• P. 7 #2 What is the contour interval?
• P.7 #3 What is the contour interval?
Key words: neighboring and vertical
Contour intervals show differences in height
Scales show differences in distance
Remember:
Contour interval = height
Scale = distance traveled
Notice, not every line is labeled. How can you
figure out the height of the unlabelled lines?
What is the contour interval in this
picture? What is the height of the
most inner contour line/ line X?
Third important definition
•
A map using contour lines to show
changes in elevation (height) is a
topographic map.
A topographic map of a mountain
Let’s start our journey on mountain
climbing!
Let’s take a walk up a hill!
We’re now at an elevation of 100
meters.
100m
Now we’re at 200m.
200m
100m
Shall we march on?
200m
100m
We’ve made it to 300m!
300m
200m
100m
On to the peak!
300m
200m
100m
We’re on the peak, but what’s our
elevation?
300m
200m
100m
Any ideas?
Let’s add contour lines for
every 50 meters and see if
that helps.
300m
200m
100m
We know that we are above
350m, but less than 400m.
350m
300m
250m
200m
150m
100m
50m
Let’s head down the hill, it’s
getting late!
350m
300m
250m
200m
150m
100m
50m
Now what’s our elevation?
350m
300m
250m
200m
150m
100m
50m
What’s our elevation now?
350m
300m
250m
200m
150m
100m
50m
Let’s
now look at the
same hill, but the
way we might see it
from an airplane!
Each color change represents a 50
meter increase.
Now, let’s try the same hike! Our elevation is
0 meters and the contour interval is 50m.
What is the elevation that the man is at?
Remember the contour
Interval is 50m. The first line is 0m.
If you said more than 150
meters, but less than 200
meters your right!
Let’s go a little higher.
Think you know our elevation
now? (50m is contour interval)
• More than 300meters
• But less than 350meters
If we were standing on the peak, what
would be our elevation? (50m contour
interval)
• More than 350 meters, less
than 400 meters
Let’s see what you know.
E
C
D
B
1200m
A
F
1000m
800m
600m
Grab a white board and write your
answers to the following questions.
Ready?
1. What is the possible elevation at B?
E
C
D
B
1200m
A
F
1000m
800m
600m
• The elevation must be under
1400 meters, but over 1300
meters.
2. What is the elevation at
(E)?
E
C
D
B
1200m
A
F
1000m
800m
600m
• about 400 meters
3.What is the elevation difference
between (A) and (B)?
E
C
D
B
1200m
A
F
1000m
800m
600m
• (A) is probably close to the 750
meter line, (B) is above 1300
meters. The difference
between the two would
probably be 650 to 700
meters.
5. If you walked a straight line from (D) to
(C) would you walk over a ridge or down a
valley?
E
C
D
B
1200m
A
F
1000m
800m
600m
• Down a valley
• first you are going down, then
you are going up again.
Easy way to judge geological featureswrite this down
• 1. If you are going in a direction, and the
number is going up, that means you are going
uphill.
• 2. If you are going in a direction, and the
number is going down, that means you are
going downhill.
Let’s look at several major landforms
• Valley
Hill
Ridge
Steeper slopes, lines are closer
Read rules for profiles on p.8
Plains the lines are farther apart
Depressions have hachure marks
(p.7 #8)
Stream: v-shaped lines-they point
upstream (top) (p.7 #9)
Valley-u-shaped and the elevation is
going down. Ridge if the elevation is
going up