Drawing Cross-sections

A cross section is a diagram that gives a cut -away or side view of the landscape. It
shows the landscape as it would appear if sliced open, or if you were to walk along
with it rather like cutting a large piece of cake in half.
Cross-sections are useful to geographers because they show the shape and height of
the land. They can also be used to show the location important physical and human
features such as vegetation cover, land use and settlement.

How to draw a cross-section.

1. Draw a line of section (from A to B) across the contours.
2. Study the patterns of the contours and try to imagine what is happening to the
land. Is the land rising or falling? Is there a valley?
3. Pace the straight edge of paper along the line of section. Mark the start (A) and
the finish (B). Now Mark the points where each contour crosses the edge of the
paper. Write the value of each contour on the paper. Check to see whether any
contours are ‘ doubling back’. Mark on any other important details such as
rivers.

4. Now place the paper along a horizontal line of the same length as the line of
section, on a piece of graph paper.
5. Choose a vertical scale that shows the variations in height but does not make
the landscape look unrealistic.
6. Carefully draw crosses at the correct height for each contour. To do this you
need to read up to read up from the bottom.
7. Use a freehand curve to join up the crosses. Continue the curve to both axes.
8. Complete your section by writing labels and give your diagram a title.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StDYPIuk25M
Watch the video and make personal notes
N.B Draw neat diagrams and frame them.

Describing physical features on a map

In physical geography we need to describe the relief, drainage, and vegetation. Look
at key questions below and how could apply them to maps.