Practice Packet

Topographic Maps

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Map Elevation Exercise

Identify the elevation of each point identified on the map above.

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B: _

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c: _F: _

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Identify tbe elevation of eacb point identified on tbe map above.

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~..' 6.NA~E . . . CLASS D HF

< o. UNIT I: TOPIC 3. TOPOGRAPHY (ClntinlledJ

RElA TED QUESTIONS1. The questions below refer to the accompanying topographic map.

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(8) What is the contour interval? .

(b) What does the symbol at C indicate? .

(c) What is the elevation of the inside contour line at C? .

(d) What.is the feature shown at A? .

(e) What does the symbol at B indicate? .

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I fI In ~hal general drrecuon b Thomas Cree], Ih)\\ Ing hl!l\\.:.:n 1I.11l\.!@.

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(gl What is the gradient of Roger Creek between contour lines £ and F:

(hI Which orlH~' three streams shown flows the fastest'?(

2. State the meaning, of each of the fOllowingmap-scale ratios:

(a) 1:62,500 . - I" ••.I., (b) 1:500,000

3. Express the following map scales as ratios and fractions:

(a) One inc~ to twenty miles: .

(b) One inch to 2.000 feet .

4. Using a scale of one inch equals one mile and a contour interval of 20 feet. draw in thespace' below a contour map of an island in the ocean which is 5 miles long (cast to west)and 2h miles wide. The island is steepest on the west side, rising there to a single hilltop'which has an altitude of 185 feet. Show a stream, whose source is at an altitude of 155feet, flowing southeast to the sea. Indicate a depression over 20 feet deep whose surfaceedge is located between the 60- and the 80-foot contour lines.

ACTIVITY 6.13: Interpreti~s Contou~ Lln~s

Objective: To interpret topograp~y fro~ contour Ilnes on 3 ma~:

Materials: Map on the fOllow~ng page and wr~ting ~nstrument.

Procedure: Referring to the contour map on the next page,answer the following.questio~s.

1. What is the contour interval of the map?

How did you determine this?

2. Which side of the Nile River is steeper?

How can you tell this?

3. How many hilltops are on the map? How is a hilltop

represented?

4. What is the feature at D?

5. Give the elevations for the points listed by lett~r. (If theletter is on the contour line, give the exact elevation; if itis between, give the minimum and maximum, e.g., 721-739.)

A o G

B E H

C F I6. Which direction do the fOllowing streams flow? (general trend)

Silver Creek

Nile River

Don't Know Creek

Which rule did you use to determine these directions?

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Chc1pter 6

ACTIVITY 6.15: Gradient Problems

Objective: To calculate the gradient of various points ingiven situations.

Materials: Writing instrumentA

Procedure: Using the formula below, calculate the gradientin the following problems.

Gradient Difference in elevation between pointsstraight line difference between points

1. The distance between two points is 4 miles, and thedifference in elevation is 30 feet.

2. The distance between two points is ~ mile, and thedifference in elevation is 30 feet.

3. The distance between two points is 0.7 miles, and thedifference in elevation is 150 feet.

4. The difference in elevation is 95 feet, and the distancebetween two points is 2.46 miles.

5. The difference in elevation is 0, and the distance betweentwo points is 0.28751 miles.

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MAP SKILLS TESTAN ARCHEOLOGICAL EXPEDITION

The accompanying map is the field map you used on an archeological expedition.What follows is a narrative of what your team of researchers did in the field areaillustrated by the map. Read this carefully and do exactly what it tellsyou to do. Some answers will g_o on the map. others on a separateanswer sheet.

Put your name at the top of the map to complete the Quadrangle name. Put your nameon the top of your separate answer sheet.' Test questions are numbered within thenarrative. Most of your answers will go on the separate answer sheet. Only putanswers on the map if directed to do so.

Your team arrived at the base camp via a dirt road. You will find this camp in theeastern part of R1. Estimate your approximate elevation at this point (1). This is atime to get oriented with the field area and its features. You begin studying the map.What is the contour interval? (2) How many degrees, minutes, and seconds of latitudeare shown? ( 3) How many degrees, minutes, and seconds of longitude are shown?(4) Name the adjacent map quadrangles in the following order: S, SE, E, NE, NW, W,SW (5-12). What is the latitude of the top edge of the map? (13) What is thelongitude of the western edge of the map? (14) What is the scale of the map? (1 5)Is this map in the northern or southern hemisphere? (16) Is this map in the eastern, orwestern hemisphere? (17) (Bonus: Give the specific location of this map.)

Now you are ready to begin your trek. You begin hiking southeast and notice a streamon the map running nearly parallel to the trail. It is Seahawk Creek. Draw and arrowon the map showing the direction it is flowing (18 on the map). There is anotherstream flowing parallel to your trail to the southwest. Name this one after yourself (19on the map). What is the stream gradient for the stream with your name? (20) Asyou continue up the stream valley the trail begins to follow the bank of the stream withyour name. You cross this stream at the 7300 ft contour. Are you about to enter theflattest, or the steepest part of your journey? (21) Not far from the trail you discover acave and mark it's location on the map with the letter C. In this cave you discover aburial site. There are bones wrapped in the tattered remnants of a woven cloth. Thesite is on tribal property, so you only take photographs to show the leaders of the localtribe. You will seek their permission to clip a sample of the woven cloth for carbon-14dating analysis. You record the latitude and longitude of the cave in you field bookincluding degrees, minutes, and seconds (22 ). Just above the 7500 ft contour, threemembers of your team head southwest and eventually discover an Anasazi ruin. It isalmost 'dark and the three decide to camp. They awaken as the sun brightens theinside of their tent. Indicate your camp site location on the map and record it's latitudeand longitude (23). Estimate the elevation of the ruins (24). After photographing thesite and noting any impressive features, the three move eastward. In the afternoonthey cross a stream. Draw an arrow on the map indicating which way the stream isflowing (25). Meanwhile, you and five others have set up a second base camp, ormeeting place at the trail crossing. Three of your party go north and discover aninteresting feature and loop around it. How would you describe this feature? (26)

Your trip (and test) is completed.

You and the two remaining researchers head south toward the 7600 ft contour. Youset up a camp near the benchmark at the top of the hill in order to send a radiotransmission for a pick up at the first base camp. What is the elevation stamped on thebenchmark? (27) The next morning all teams head back to the second base camp,and then continue on to the first base camp. How far are the two base camps apart?( 28) The teams arrive at the base camp with enough daylight to make dinner andthen build a fire. Your team spends the. remainder of the evening exchanging storiesabout what each discovered. In the morning, while you wait for the pick up, youcomplete one more task - constructing topographic profiles of the field area. You splitup the duty between the group members .. Your profile is (use the appropriateprofile sheet provided).

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Reading Contour MapsObjective: to use contour lines to compare elevations and describe landforms

An elevation map shows how high above orbelow sea level places are. Sea level is the level c}fthe ocean's surface. from which elevation anddepth are measured.

Many maps use contour lines to show elevation.Each line is labeled with a number telling howmany feet (or meters) above sea level itrepresents. All the places along the line are at thesame elevation. For example, in Diagram 1the line labeled 1500 feet runs all aroundKnob Hill at 1500 feet above sea level. Thecloser together the lines are, the steeper the slopeof the land. Diagram 2 shows the view of theelevation of Knob Hill from above.

Use Diagrams I. 2 and 3 to answer questions 1-8.

I. How high is Knob Hill?

a. 1000 ftb. 2000 ft

c. 2500 ftd. over 2500 ft

P'---"2. What is the elevation of the valley west ofKnob Hill?

a. sea levelb. about 500 feet

c. about 1500 feetd. below sea level

3. Which side of Knob Hill is steeper?a. east b. west

4. When contour lines are close together. whatkind of slope do they show?

a. a steep slopeb. a gradual slope

5. When contour lines are widely spaced. whatdo they show?

a. a high hillb. a deep valley

c. a gradual sloped. a steep slope

6. What type of land feature is shown at point Ain Diagram 3?a. a hillb. a mountain

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c. a valleyd. a cliff

10 ISTERPRETING SYMBOLS

---------------------Diagram 1 View of Knob Hill Looking North

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Diagram 2 Elevation Map of Knob Hill

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Diagram 3 Elevation Map of Mystery Park

7. Write one reason why you chose your answerfor question 6.

8. Compare Diagram 2 and Diagram 3. Whichmap shows the higher lands?

Use Elevation Map 2 to answer questions 15-10. 15UK Elevation Map 1 to answer questions 9-14.

9. What is the elevation of point A?a.3500ft c.2500ftb. 3000 ft d.4000 ft

10.What is the highest level shown on thiselevation map?a. 4000 ftb. 4500 ft

c. 3000 ftd. 3500 ft

11. There is a tunnel in one of the mountains. Atwhat elevation has the tunnel been dug?a. about 2500 ft c. about 1500 fth. about 1000 ft d. about 2000 ft

12.What is the elevation of point B?a. between 2500 and 3000 feeth. between 2000 and 2500 feetc. between 1000 and 1500 feetd. between 1500 and 2000 feet

13.At what elevation does the river start?a. 4000 ft c. 3500 ftb. 3000 ft d, 2500 ft

14.What would you see if you were standing inthe center of the southern edge of the maplooking northward?

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Elevation Map 2

15. Which point on the map is below sea level?a. point A b. point B c. point C

16.Which slope of the hill is 'steepest?a. southern slopeh. northern slope

c. eastern sloped. western slope

17. How much higher is point A than point B?a about 1000 feet higherh. about 600 feet higherc. about 3300 feet higherd. about 2700 feet higher

18. Which slope of the hill is the most gradual?a. southern slope c. eastern 510h. northern slope d. western slope

19. What would you see if you were standing atthe southern edge of the map lookingnorth~d? .

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a.~b.~ 4C.~

20. If you hiked from point C to point B, howwould you describe your hike?a up a steep slope of several thousand feeth. down a gradual slope of several hundred feetc. up a gradual slope of a few hundred feet

MAKING GENERAUZATIONS 2.

A very important pan of using a map and compass is to be able10 look al a map and visualize what those features look. like 00 theground. Malch the- features on Ihe right with the correct featureon the ten,

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EXERCISE 3: TopovapIaiuJ FeiUwa

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Now match the (ollowing descriptiOD with the correct feature.

Has two peaks of equal height with a saddle- in between.Has a crater in- the top.Has a gradual slope on the west and a steep slope

OD the east,Has two peaks with the west peak being two intervals

higher than the east,A nice, gradual hilL

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~~-----------------------------------Measuring Distance in Miles

• AndersonTo the right is a map ofSouth Carolina. Use aruler to measure the dis-tance from point topoint for each question.Multiply the number ofinches by the number ofmiles each inch repre-sents. Circle the letter ofthe correct answer. r I I I I

o 10 20 30 40 Miles

The distance from Columbia to Charlestonis about (a) 110 miles, (b) 160 miles,(c) 320 miles.

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Name Measuring Distance in KilometersDate _

Study the map of Central America. Use a ruler to measure the distance from point topoint for each question. Multiply the number of inches by the number of kilometerseach inch represents. Write the answer on the line.

1. How many kilometers are there to the inch 5. How long is the Panama Canal in kilorne-in this scale? ters?

2. How many kilometers is it from point A to 6. What is the length of Lake Nicaragua inpoint C? kilometers?

3. How many kilometers is it from point B to 7. What is the distance from San Salvador topoint D? San Jose in kilometers?

4_ How many kilometers is it from Tegucigalpa 8_ What is the distance in kilometers fromto Managua? Guatemala City to Belmopan?

Belmopan.

• Guatemala City

• Teguclgalpl

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Kllometel'l

H050100 200 400

Extra Activity: Find a map of Texas that shows the scale in kilometers. Measure Texasfrom east to west and from north to south at the widest and longest points. Is the widthof Texas greater than the length of Cen tral America? Is the length of Texas greater thanthe length of Central America?

SEcnON 7: ScAU AND DISTANCE""',"',.... t(''''- t ,.' & _ '0' I_L. n '- 1=_'- __ c,