Topographic Maps & Cross-Sections

Let's pretend we are going on a class field trip to an imaginary location known as Armadillo
Ridge. Before we get there, we want to determine the easiest way to the top. To help us,
we will use a topographic map of Armadillo Ridge to make a cross-section showing us a
side view of the land.

When looking at a flat map, there is always a compass rose indicating the cardinal
directions: North, South, East and West. A topographical map is a flat map that shows
elevation. This extra feature of showing elevation uses lines of equal elevation that loop
around the map. These are contour lines. They can never cross because there can't be
a location that has two different elevations.

We can use a topographical map to make a cross-section along any straight line we draw
on the map. A cross-section will give us an idea of how the terrain looks from a side
view.

Let's first look at a topographical map of Armadillo Ridge.

Any location along the 100-foot line is 100 feet above sea-level. The same goes for the other contour
lines respectively. The bold line drawn across the map starting with A and ending at A' (A-prime) is
the cross-section we are going to draw.
You may be wondering why the right-side of the map is cut off. This is normal. A map can be made
for a very specific location, and the terrain to the east was not necessary to include in the map of
Armadillo Ridge.

Making a Cross-Section
Let's go through the different steps required to make a cross-section on a map.

Step 1:
Take a thin strip of paper and place it along the cross-section line. Where the contours intersect with
the strip of paper, make a mark and record the elevation. These marks and elevations are shown in
red.

Step 2:
Take that strip of paper and put it on a fresh piece of paper. Draw two vertical lines (similar to two y-
axes on a graph) representing the boundaries of your cross-section. Also, draw equally spaced
elevation lines parallel to your strip of paper. These lines would be parallel to the x-axis on a graph
and are labeled with numbers representing elevations. It looks nice if you make the bottom line 50
feet below your lowest elevation and your top line 50 feet above your highest elevation.
Step 3:
Draw dots corresponding to the elevations along the strip of paper representing the cross-section
line.