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Interpretation of Topographical Maps: Chapter-3

The document discusses how to interpret topographical maps. It covers what topographical maps show, their importance, how to read marginal information and interpret symbols representing relief, drainage, land use and transportation. Factors like terrain, water sources and climate determine settlement patterns. Relative elevation is shown using contours and spot heights referenced to the surrounding land, not sea level.

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Jhalak Tejpal
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188 views3 pages

Interpretation of Topographical Maps: Chapter-3

The document discusses how to interpret topographical maps. It covers what topographical maps show, their importance, how to read marginal information and interpret symbols representing relief, drainage, land use and transportation. Factors like terrain, water sources and climate determine settlement patterns. Relative elevation is shown using contours and spot heights referenced to the surrounding land, not sea level.

Uploaded by

Jhalak Tejpal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter-3

Interpretation of Topographical Maps

Self Assessment
Answer the following questions:
1. (i) Topographical maps are large scale map which shows both natural
and manmade features of earth’s surface i.e. elevation, relief, drainage,
vegetation and man-made features like roads, railways, settlements etc.
(ii) Both physical and cultural features of an area are represented by
topographical sheets.

2. Topographic maps are important for the geographical study of landforms,


land use and settlement of an area. it helps in geographic planning or
large-scale architecture; earth sciences and many other geographic
disciplines, mining and other earth-based endeavors; civil engineering and
recreational uses such as hiking and orienteering. It helps to prepare
undeveloped site, building sewer systems and access roads for the
settlements.

3. Marginal information, Contours, conventional symbols and signs and


different color tint used in toposheets are the basis for the interpretation.

4. The type of marginal information is generally given under the following


heads:

1. The number of the toposheet


2. Latitudinal and longitudinal extent
3. Scale
4. Eastings and Northings
5. True North and Magnetic North
6. Legends/ Index
7 Contour intervals
8 other information
5. The methods showing relief are:
Qualitative Method like hachure, coloring and Hill Shading and Quantitative
Methods like Contour, Form lines, Spot Heights, Benchmarks and
Trigonometric Stations.
6. Cartographic methods like contours, spot heights, hachure, Hill Shading,
conventional signs and symbols and colors are used to depict relief,
drainage, vegetation, and means of transport, communication and
settlements on topographical maps.

7. Natural relief of land and drainage are the major factors which determine
the choice of settlement and the development of means of transportation.
Flat areas such as plains usually support urban settlements and have
dense networks of roads. It is much easier to construct buildings and roads
on flat land. Hilly and mountainous area usually supports rural population.
Settlement pattern are usually linear or dispersed and have a low density of
roads because it is difficult to construct buildings and roads over the hilly
areas.
Large settlements are often located near rivers. Fresh water from these
rivers is often used to supply these settlements. Each and every settlement
have requirement to connect by some mode of transport. Waterways are
the cheapest mode of transportation. During the building of roads and
railways, waterlogged areas such as swamps and marshes are usually
avoided.

8. Colors and conventional signs/ symbols should be kept in mind while


studying the occupation and land use.
9. see page no. 50 (Vegetation and Climate)
10. a. Availability of water supply
b. Provision of food.
c. Nature and character of occupation.
d) Relief features of the land

11. a. Nucleated or compact pattern.


b. Dispersed or Scattered pattern
c. Linear or Ribboned pattern
d. Radial pattern

12. see page no 47-49.

13. a. If the map is colored yellow, land is intensively used for agriculture
and occupation would be agriculture.
b. If the land is covered with thick forests in green color, people may be
engaged in lumbering, hunting, gathering and collection of forest products.
c. In an area dotted by a number of quarries and mines, quarrying and
mining would naturally be the main occupation of the people.

d. The presence of large number of mills and factories, it indicates that


most of the people are industrial workers.

14. To illustrate the conventional signs/ symbols and colors used in the
map, an index is highly essential for the reading of toposheets.

15. Relative height is the height of a feature with reference to the height of
the surrounding land and not to sea level. It is represented by
the height with a small 'r' eg –3r which means relative height depth. Thus if
one finds 3r written on a toposheet, this means that the concerned place is
higher by 3 meters than its neighboring lowest place.

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