Landforms & Topographic Mapsplainplateaumountains© Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4551Visit www.newpathlearning.com for Online Learning Resources.Photos courtesy of USGS, USFWS, USDA & NPS.Types of LandformsThree major types of landforms are plains, plateaus and mountains. A plain is a large region of nearly elevation. A plateau is a highly elevatedthat often contains rivers and streams. Mountains are high elevation landforms with steep slopes. CASCADE RANGESIERRA NEVADACOLORADOPLATEAUOZARKPLATEAUGREAT PLAINSPacificOceanAtlanticOceanGulf of MexicoCENTRALLOWLANDSSUPERIORUPLANDSADIRONDACKMOUNTAINSGULF COAST PLAINCOLUMBIAPLATEAUSNAKE RIVERPLATEAUGREAT BASINROCKY MOUNTAINSAPPALACHIAN MOUNTAINSAPPALACHIAN PLATEAUPIEDMONT PLATEAUATLANTIC COASTAL PLAINCOASTAL RANGECoastal plainsInterior plains/lowlandsMountainsPlateaus/uplandsBasins/mountainsRRARRPPPERIOUUPUSRRRRRRERIORRRRRRRAARUPLATEAUETEAEAIATEAATEAIEAFNUUSUST PLAEPUPERNLPPAPPAPAPLAPHIIANMTNTSAINATETEAINPLAAATAANPATANUNCHIANMOUNEAUTATWhat is a Topographic Map?A topographic map provides information about the surface features of a particular area. Topographic maps show natural features such as rivers and mountains as well as human-made features like buildings, roads and bridges. The symbols that represent map features are found in the legend.13500130001250012500120001150011000110001000011000100001050095001050085001300014000primary highwaysecondary highwaytrailriverstreamwetlandsbridgecontour line - elevationMap SymbolsTopographic Map Contour LinesContour lines on a topographic map connect points of equal elevation. An index contour is a darker, heavier line with a marked elevation. The contour interval is the difference in elevation between two contour lines. The relief is the distance between the highest and lowest elevation points on the map.Contour lines never cross. When the lines are spaced close together, the slope is steep. If they are spread apart, the slope is gentle. Contour lines that cross a valley or stream are V-shaped with the V pointing toward the higher elevation. Tops of hills or depressions are shown as closed circles.11850contour intervalreliefhighestlowestindex contourcontour linessteep slope12250120001175011500110001100011250110001050010750107501100012500plainplateaumountainsThree major types of landforms are plains, plateausand mountains. A plain is a large region of nearly elevation. A plateau is a highly elevatedthat often contains rivers and streams. Mountainsare high elevation landforms with steep slopes. CASCADE RANGESIERRA NEVADACOLORADOPLATEAUOZAOZAZOZAZAOZAOOZAO ARKKRKRRKRKKKUPLAPLAPLAPLAPLALLAPLATEATETEAEATEATTEAAAUUUUUUGRGGRGRGRERGGGAT PLAINSPacificOceannnnnnnnAtlanticOceanGulflfflflfllff oooooooffff fffff MeMMMMMMMMM xicoccooocooooCENNNNNNNTRTRTRTTRTRARRTTRALLOWLOWLOWOWOWLOWLOWOWWLANLALANLALALANA DSUPERIORSUPSUPERIORSUPUPUPLANDSADIRONDAOAACACACCACCCACCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKMOUNTAAAAAAASININSNSSSINSSNSAAAAAAAAAINININSNSNSINNNNNTAAAAAAGULF COAST PT PLAINCCCCOBIABIALUMBIAUUPLATEAUSNAKE RIVERPLATEAUGREAT BASINROCKYKMOUNTATTINSAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPAPPLACHIIIAAAAAAAANNNNNNNMOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUNNNTATTINSSSSSSSAPPAPPLACHIAAAAAAANNNNNPPLAAAAAAAATTTTTAAAAAAAAAAAEEEEEEAAAAUPPPPPPPPPIIIIIIEEEEEEDDDDDDMMMMMMMMOOOONNNNNTTTTTTTTPPPPPPLLLLLLLAAAAAATTTAAAAEEEEEEAAAAUUUUUUUUAAAATTTTTTTAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLAAAAAANTICCCCOOOOOOOAAAAAASSSSSSTTTTTTTTAAAATTTTTTTTLLLLPPPPPPPPLLLLLAAAAAAAINCOASTATTLRRRANGECoastatatataaatatataall ll l plplplplplplppp ainsInteririririr orooroorororororrr ppppplains/s/s//s/s//s/loololololololowlwwlwwlwlwwwww ana dssssdsMountainsPlateausssssss/u/u/u/u/u/uu/uu/ plplpppplpppp anannnnndsdsdsdsdsdsdsdsdsBasins/mountainsRRRRAARRPPPPOERIOUUUUPUSRRRRRRRROERIORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAARRRUPLATEAUETEAEAIATEAEATEAIEAFNUUSUST PLAEPUPERNNNNNLLLLLLPPPPAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPAPAPPAPLLLAPHIIAAAANNNMMMMMMTTTNNNNNNNNNTTTTSSSSSSIATTETEEEEEEAAAINPLAATTTTTANNNNPAAATATATTAAANNNUUUNNNCHIAAANNNNNMMOOOOOOOUUUUUNNNEAUTTATAATA topographic map provides information about the suurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrffffffffffffffffaaaaaaaaaceeeee ffffffffffeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaattttttttuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssss ooooooffffffffffffff aaaaaaaaaaa partiiiiiiiiccccccccccccuuuuuuuuuuuuullllllllaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr area. TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTToooooooooooooopographic maps show natural features such as rivers and mountains as well as hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan-mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaaddddddddddddddeeeeeeeeee ffffffffffffffffeeatuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssss llllllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiikkkkkkkkkkkkkkeeeeeeeeee buuuiiiiiiiilllllllllldddddddddddddddings, roads and bridges. The symbols that represent map features are founndddddddddddd iiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnn tttttttthhhhhe llllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeegggggggggggggggggggggeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnnndddddddddddddddd.135000011135000013500130000000113000001300000000000000000001255000000011255500000000012552555252255255000000000000000112512512512511251200000000111100000012125125125121251251251252512500000000000000000001200000000000000001112002020200020200000000000000000000115000000111500000000000000000011000000011000110000110001000010110000111011100110110100000000000001110111101101101011011011011011000000000000000000010000111000000000000010500110500955009500950010500110500850008508500130001130001111401414040400000000014001400140444140140114040000000000000000primary highwaysecondary highwaytrailriverstreamwetlandsbridgecontour line - elevationMap Symbols11Contouuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrr llllllllinnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssss oooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnn aaaaa tttttttoooooooooooooopppppppppooooooooooooooggggggggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrraphic mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaaapppppppppppppp cccccccccoooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnect ppppppppppppppppooooooooointttttttttttsssss of equal eeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllevvvvvvvvvvvvvaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiioooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAnnnnnnnnn iiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnddddddddddddddeeex ccccccccccccoooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnntour iiissss aaaaaaaaaaaa ddddddddddddarrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrr,,, heaaaaaaaaaaaaavvvvvvvvvvvvier line wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwiiiithhhhhhhhhhhhhh aaaaaaa mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkeeeeeeeeeeeeddddddddddddddddd eeelevaatttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiioooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnn. TTTTTTTTTTTTTTThhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeee cccontouuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrr iiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnterrrvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvaaaaal is the difffffffffffffffffffffffffeeeeeeeeeereeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnncccccccccccccccceeeeeeeeeeeeee iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnn eeeeeeeeelllllllllleeeeeeeeeeevvvvaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiooooooooooooonnnnnnnnn betweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnnn tttttttttwwwwoooooooooooooo cccccccccccccccoooooooooontourr llllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnes. The reeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllliiiiiiiefffffffffffff iiiiiissssssssssssssssss tttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeee ddddddddddddiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssttttttttttttaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnccccccccceeeeeeeeeeeee bbbbbbbeettttttttttttwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen the ffffffffhhhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhessssssssssssttttttttttttttt aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnndddddddddddddddddd lllllllllowest eeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllevvvvvaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiioooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnn ppppppppppppppppppoooooooooooooooooiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnttttttttttttssssssssssssss oooooon ttthhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeee mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaapppppppppp.Connnnnnnnnnnttttttttttooooooooooooouuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrr llllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiinnes never cross. WWWWhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnn tttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeee llllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnes aarrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeee ssssspaced cloossssssssssseeeeeeeeeee tttttttttoooogether, the slope is steep. IIffffffffff ttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyy aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeee spread aaaaaaaaaapppppppppppaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrtttttt,,,,,, the slope is gentle. Contour linesss tttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaatttt cross a vvvvvvvvvvvvvaaaaaaaaaaaalllleyyyy oooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrr ssssssssssssttttttream are V-shaped with the VVVVVVVVVVVVVV ppppppppppppppppooooooooooointing towaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrddddddddddddd ttttthe hhhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhheeer elevation. Tops oooooooooooooooffffffffffff hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiillllllllllllllls or depressions are shownnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssss ccccclossssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedddddddddddddddddddddddd cccccccccccccccccciiiiiiiiiiiiiircles.contour intervalreliefhighestlowestindex contourlllcontour linessteep slope1225011 501225012000112000120001175011750117501150011115001100000001100011000011000112500112501125011000111000101111505000000010500105001050010500105001050050107501010750107501107505000501100011100012500
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