Study Guide
Maps
The following is a list of questions that will help you study for the test. Students who take
the time to look up each answer should do well.
1. What is topography?
The shape of the land. (P. 54)
2. What is a topographic map? What does it tell us?
Map that shows the shape of Earth’s surface. Shows both natural and manmade features. (P. 54)
3. What are contour lines? What is an index contour?
Contour lines join points of equal elevation. An index contour is a darker line
with the elevation marked. (p. 55)
4. What is a contour interval?
The contour interval is the difference in elevation between contour lines
that are next to each other. (p. 55)
5. What does it mean when contour lines are close together?
Indicates a steep slope. (P. 56-57)
6. What does it mean when contour lines are widely spaced?
Indicates a gentle slope (p. 56-57)
7. What do V-shaped contours show?
V-shaped contours pointing uphill indicate a valley. V-shaped contour
pointing downhill indicate a ridgeline. (P. 56-57)
8. What do contour lines with dashes in the middle represent?
A depression. (notes)
9. What organization makes most topographic maps?
United States Geological Survey – USGS (p. 56)
10. What is the contour interval on the map above? 10 units
11. What is the elevation of school A? 20 units
12. About how high is Oak Hill? 125 units
13. What is a geologic map? How is it different from a topographic map?
A geologic map shows the geology of an area. It is different from a
topographic map because it shows rock formations. (P. 58)
14. What is a contact? Describe 2 types of contacts.
A contact is a place where 2 rock formations are next to each other.
Depositional contacts: rocks that formed when sediments were deposited on
other sediments. Fault contact: when rock formations have been moved next
to each other. (P. 59)