Map Skills

Sub-topic 1-4
Sub-topic 1: Contour lines

Unit 1: The concept of contour lines (models and landscape maps

with landscape features)
Maps are not realistic in the same way that photographs are. We use
symbols and colour on maps to represent objects that are on the ground.
Contour lines are a kind of symbol that is used to show height on maps,
for example, the height and shape of a hill. Each contour line connects
places that are the same height above sea level. The pattern made by
different contour lines on a map shows the height and the shape of
features on the land.
We use contour lines on maps to provide information about the height
and shape of landscape features such as hills, river valleys and
mountains.
Map makers decide how many contour lines to show on a map. For
example, they may decide to show contour lines every 100 metres,
every 50 metres or every 20 metres. The map of the hilly landscape
above shows contours at 20 metre intervals. We call the distance
between each contour, the contour interval.
Cartographers get information about the land from different sources:
vertical aerial photographs, satellite images, and land surveys done by
people on the ground. Cartographers use all this information to help
them make maps.
 Keywords

• Contour lines- symbolic horizontal lines which indicate the

height and shape of a slope
• Landscape features - physical features we can identify on the
land
• Model - a smaller, realistic copy of a real object or feature
• Cartographer - a person who makes maps
Unit 2: Steep and gentle slopes
(description of gradient )
Gradient describes the steepness of a slope. Steepness tells you about the angle of the slope. A slope
will have a steep gradient if there is a big difference in the height between two places, while the
horizontal distance between the places is small (for example, a cliff). A slope will have a gentle
gradient if the height difference between two places is small and the land distance is long (for
example, a gently sloping field).
To calculate gradient we need to know the height difference between two places and the horizontal
distance between the two places. The example below shows how we can calculate the gradient of the
slope between A and B in Figure 5.
Gradient = vertical height distance = 1000m divided by 100m = 1 over 10
horizontal distance
We describe gradient as a ratio. 1 over 10 as a ratio is 1:10. This means we need to travel
ten metres along the around to go up one mete in height.
Key word
• Gradient - the angle of a slope compared to the
horizontal
Unit 3: River valleys and spurs
River valleys
River valleys are lower than the surrounding land. They may
have a river flowing in them. In mountain areas river valleys
have steep sides. The contour lines for a river valley make a V-
shaped pattern. The V of the contour line always points up the
valley. In lower areas river valleys may be very wide with flat
land either side of the river. The contour lines will be far apart
where the slope of the valley is gentle
Spurs
Spurs are pieces of land that stick out between different river
valleys. Spurs can have steep or gentle gradients. The contour
pattern showing spurs is U-shaped. The closed part of the U
points down the slope towards the lower contour numbers.
Sub-topic 3: 1:50 000 Topographic maps

Unit 1: Read map symbols to identify features

Topographic maps on the scale of 1: 50 000 are special maps

that show different features on the land. 'Topographic' means
that they show the shape of the land as well as other features.
The scale of 1: 50 000 topographic maps means that one
centimetre on the map represents 50 000 cm, which is 500
metres on the ground.Topographic maps use symbols to
represent real objects. The colour on a map makes it easier to
identify the meaning of the symbols in the key. Some symbols
are lines, some are letters and numbers, and others are shaded
areas. The symbols show natural and constructed features.
Key words
• Topographic – shape of the land
• Natural features - parts that are naturally occurring
• Constructed- made by people
Natural features on topographic maps
A perennial river is a river that flows all the time. A non-
perennial river only flows some of the time, usually in the rainy
reason.Coastal rocks occur along the coast where the land meets
the sea. Mudflats usually occur in rivers or places next to the
coast where the river or sea moves back at low tide, leaving
mud exposed.
Constructed features on topographic
maps
Most of the symbols on topographic maps show constructed
features. People have changed the natural landscape by making
roads, building settlements, constructing dams, airports and
harbours, and by farming on the land.
 Unit 2: Height clues on topographic
maps
Contour lines
Contour lines are brown lines on topographic maps.Each contour
line connects places that are the same height above sea level. The
contour intervals 20 metres on 1:50 000 topographic maps.Not
every contour line is numbered.Every fifth contour is shaded a
darker brown.These darker contour lines show the height 100
metres apart.By counting the darker lines, we can calculate the
height of the hill or mountain.The numbers on the contour lines help
you to see it a slope is sloping up or down.They always face up the
slopes.
Spot heights
Spot heights show the exact height of a place in metres, as a
number next to a dot, marked on the map spot heights on a map
are often shown on top of hills.
Trigonometric beacons
Trigonometric beacons,(also known as 'trig' beacons) are like
spot heights.They show points on the land for which the exact
height is known.Trig beacons are marked by a little triangle.The
number gives height as a decimal, for example, 109.7. This
place is 1091 metres and 70 centimetres above sea level. The
number in italics is the number of the trig beacon.The whole of
South Africa has been mapped using trig beacons.
Benchmarks
Like spot heights and trig beacons, benchmarks are also points
for which the exact height is known. Benchmarks are shown on
maps as a number and arrow, usually next to the road.
Benchmarks show height in metres as decimals, for example
436.1.
Key words
• Trigonometric beacon-a
triangular symbol showing the exact height of a place, and its
own number
• Benchmark-a map symbol with an arrow, showing the exact
height of a place, in decimal numbers
Unit 3: Contour patterns showing river valleys, hills,
mountains, ridges and spurs

River valleys, hills, mountains, ridges and

spurs are common features on many
topographic maps of South Africa.
This is a river valley.The V shape of the contour
line always points in the direction from which the
river is flowing
Hills are round features, usually with quite gentle
slopes, especially close to the top
Mountains are high areas of land, often with steep
slopes and narrow river valleys
A ridge is a narrow, high piece of land with steep
sides.The contour lines are close together near the
top.
Spurs are sloping pieces of land that occur in
river valleys and between river valleys
Unit 4: Scale and measuring distance on topographic
maps - using line and ratio scales

Ratio scale
1:50 000 topographic maps have the ratio scale 1: 50 000. A
ratio scale is a way of comparing map distances with ground
distances. The ratio scale on the 1:50 000 topographic map
compares one unit of measurement on the map with 50 000
units of the same measurement on the land The measurement
can be in centimetres, millimetres or metres. We usually work in
millimetres and centimetres.
Let's do a ratio scale calculation using centimetres: Two friends
are neighbours. The distance between their houses on a map is
one centimetre.
This means the real distance between these two friends' houses
is 50 000 centimetres.
We don't usually measure distances between places on the
ground in centimetres. So we convert centimetres to metres
10 000 centimetres is the same as 100 metres. So
50 000 centimetres will be the same as 500 metres.
So the houses of the two friends are 500 metres
apart.
Line scale
A line scale appears as a line at the bottom of a 1: 50 000
topographic map.The line scale is like a ruler. It shows the
distance on the map in millimetres and centimetres compared to
distance on the around. in metres.The line scale on the 1: 50 000
topographic map shows the ground distance in metres. The line
in figure 19 is marked in 1 000 metre sections. We have seen
above that 1 000 metres is the same as one kilometre.
Key words

• Ratio - compares one number to another number of the same

unit
• Line scale - a line which marks the distance on a map
compared to distance on the ground