Topography Topography

Topography The Shape of the land What is it? (Greek topos, "place", and graphia, "writing") is the study of Earth's surface features What is it? What’s in a name?

difference in elevation Topography of an area is determined by: height above sea level difference in elevation Topography of an area is determined by: Elevation: Relief: Low relief High relief

a feature of topography (the top of the Earth) Landform Topography shows us: a feature of topography (the top of the Earth) Landforms, elevation and relief of each area.

So if topography is the land features on the Earth’s surface (top)…then, what is a topographic map?

Maps that show the surface features of an area. The shape of the land. Elevation Relief Slope What is a topographic map? Topographic maps provide information about: High relief

So if the map is flat then how can we see elevation, relief, and slope? Contour Lines: lines on the map that connect points of equal elevation

Contour interval: change in elevation from one line to the next…imagine each line like a step up or down

Contour Lines PHschool topo maps Textbook practice

What is the elevation of Mt. Passaconway? The closest Index contour line for the peaks is 3,000 feet. You can see another Index line of 2,000 feet. There are 4 Intermediate lines between 2000 and 3000 so each intermediate line represents a 200 foot change in elevation. Counting up from 3,000 feet, there is 3200, 3400, 3600, 3800, and the top line is 4000

Now let’s make our own topographic maps

Warm-up #4 Write if each example of chemical or mechanical weathering. Halite in rocks is dissolving. Acid from plant roots break up the rock. Wind blows sand around cutting at the side of a mountain. Carbonic Acid dissolves limestone creating a stalagmite in a cave A rock turns red due to oxidation A rock becomes smaller as it travels down stream.

Warm-Up # 5 What is a contour line? A line that connects points of equal elevation. What are 4 major agents of erosion? Water, wind, ice and gravity What is the dominant agent of weathering and erosion. Water