Content
1. Introduction
i. What is topographic map
ii. What is characteristic of topographic map
iii. Social culture topic
Chapter-1
Methods followed in Topomap drawing
Chapter 2
INTERPRETATION OF TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS
Map interpretation procedure
Chapter 3
Topographic maps showing different zone and Analysis of Toposheets
Discussion
References
Introduction
➢ What is Topographic Maps
A topographic map is the use of elevation contour lines to show the shape of the
Earth's surface. Elevation contours are imaginary lines connecting points having
the same elevation on the surface of the land above or below a reference surface,
which is usually mean sea level. Contours make it possible to show the height and
shape of mountains, the depths of the ocean bottom, and the steepness of slopes.
A topographic map is a map that represents the locations of geographical features.
Furthermore, these geographical features can be mountains, valleys, plain
surfaces, water bodies and many more.
Topographic maps refer to maps at large and medium scales that incorporate a
massive variety of information. All the components of topographic maps carry
equal importance.
Topographic maps refer to a graphical representation of the three-dimensional
configuration of the surface of the Earth. Moreover, such maps show the size,
shape, and distribution of landscape features.
Also, such maps present the vertical and horizontal positions of those features
whose representations take place. Most noteworthy makes use of contour lines so
as to show different elevations on a map.
➢ Characteristic features of topographic map
• Scale
The ratio of the distance between two points on the map and the actual distance
between those two points on the surface is called the scale.
Scale
Statement scale ratio scale graphical scale
Linear scale, comparative scale, diagonal scale vernier scale
When the relationship between distance of two points on the map and the actual
distance of those two points on the surface is expressed proportionally, it is called
a representative scale. For example: any map has a scale of 1:50000, meaning that
1 unit of distance on the map is equal to 50,000 units of distance on the surface.
That is, if 1cm is taken on the map, then the distance to the surface will be 50,000
cm.
R.F. (Representative fraction)
Map distance
ground distance
1 cm
50000 cm
= R.F. 1:50000
• Grid
Two sets of parallel lines intersecting at right angles and forming square
s; the grid is superimposed on maps, charts, and other similar represent
ations of the Earth's surface in an accurate and consistent manner in ord
er to permit identification of ground locations with respect to other locatio
ns and the computation of direction and distance to other points.
maps are overlaid with a grid to help define locations. On a world
map, latitude grid lines are oriented parallel to the equator,
and longitude grid lines are oriented perpendicular to the equator.
By specifying a latitude and a longitude, you can uniquely identify
any point on the map.
• Legends
A map legend shows colours, shapes, and symbols to define a certain
characteristic of the map. On a physical location map, you might find
areas of lakes, rivers, and mountain ranges highlighted in the map
legend for the type of map that’s being used.
On a political map, you will find areas of influence pertaining to a
political party or individual politician. A map legend will show colours
and shapes for the political influences, such as parties, that are
dominant in a particular state or region.
• contour line
A contour line is a curve that joins points of equal value. In cartography,
contour lines join the points of equal elevation above a given standard
level like the mean sea level. A contour map is a map to illustrate the
topographical features of an area using contour lines. It is often used to
show the heights, slopes and depths of valleys and hills. The space
between two consecutive contour lines in a contour map is called as the
contour interval which shows the difference in the elevation.
The best feature of using contour lines in mapping, is that it can
represent the 3-dimensional surface of the any terrain in a 2-dimensional
space i.e. on a contour map. By interpreting the Contour map the user is
able to infer the relative gradient of the surface. Be it the depth or the
height of a landscape, a contour map can help to represent the
topography of the area. The space between two lines and the spacing
along the lines provides user with important information.
Contour lines are curved, straight or a mix of both lines which do not
cross each other in a map. The reference for elevation indicated by
contour lines is usually mean sea. The space between consecutive
contour line determines the gradient of the surface that is being
represented and is termed as the “interval”. If the contour lines are
spaced very closely then they represent and indicate steep slope. If the
lines are spaced far apart then it represents a gentle slope. Streams and
rivers in a valley are represented by a “v” or a “u” in a contour map.
Some basic features of contour lines are :
❖ A contour line is drawn to show places of equal heights.
❖ Contour lines and their shapes represent the height and slope
or gradient of the landform.
❖ Closely spaced contours represent steep slopes while widely
spaced contours represent gentle slope.
❖ When two or more contour lines merge with each other, they
represent features of vertical slopes such as cliffs or waterfalls.
❖ Two contours of different elevation usually do not cross each
other.
Types of Slope
Gentle Slope
A slope with contour lines spread far apart from each other.
This even spacing is maintained in both up and downslope.
Steep Slope
A slope represented with contour lines close to each other on a topographical
map.
Concave Slope
If the upper slope of a landform is very steep and the lower slope is gentle,
then such a slope is called a concave slope.
Convex Slope
If the upper slope of a landform is very gentle and the lower slope is steep,
then search a slope is called a convex slope.
• Types of Landform
Conical Hill
Mountains are landforms higher than the surrounding areas. They are
formed due to the tectonic movements, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions
and erosion of the surrounding areas caused due to wind, water and ice.
Mountains are found in the oceans and on land.
A conical hill with uniform slope and narrow top is represented by concentric
contours spaced almost at regular intervals.
Plateau
Plateaus are flat highlands that are separated from the surroundings due to
steep slopes. They are formed by collisions of tectonic plates, magma action
that causes the elevation in earth’s crust.
valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically
contain a river or stream running from one end to the other.
V-Shaped Valleys
A V-shaped valley is a narrow valley with steeply sloped sides that
appear similar to the letter "V" from a cross-section. They are formed by
strong streams, which over time have cut down into the rock through a
process called downcutting. These valleys form in mountainous and/or
highland areas with streams in their "youthful" stage. At this stage,
streams flow rapidly down steep slopes.
U-Shaped Valley
A U-shaped valley is a valley with a profile similar to the letter "U." They are
characterized by steep sides that curve in at the base of the valley wall. They
also have broad, flat valley floors. U-shaped valleys are formed by glacial
erosion as massive mountain glaciers moved slowly down mountain slopes
during the last glaciation. U-shaped valleys are found in areas with a high
elevation and in high latitudes, where the most glaciation has occurred.
Large glaciers that have formed in high latitudes are called continental glaciers
or ice sheets, while those forming in mountain ranges are called alpine or
mountain glaciers.
Gorge
Gorge is a narrow valley between hills or mountains with steep rocky
sides. Most of the Himalayan rivers passes through deep gorges and
offers spectacular view cliff sides.
Spur
A spur is a long, gently-sloping 'tongue' of ground that runs down from a hill to
lower ground.
Spurs often provide access to and from the high ground, for walkers, for roads,
etc.
Spur can easily trace on map - it looks like a long, narrow tongue of contour
lines, dropping away from a mountain top or a ridge. Usually, its sides will be
quite steep, but its top will slope gently downwards.
CLIFF
It is a very steep or almost perpendicular face of landform. On a map, a cliff
may be identified by the way the contours run very close to one another,
ultimately merging into one.
Waterfall and Rapids
A rapid is a part of river where current is very fast because of relatively
steep gradient of river bed at that place causing an increase in water
flow and turbulence. It is the hydrological feature between a smoothly
flowing part of a stream and a sudden downpour. A waterfall is a
permanent flow of water over the edge of an erosion-resistant cliff. It is
a geological formation resulting from the sudden break in elevation or
knickpoint of rock.
• IDENTIFICATION OF CULTURAL FEATURES FROM TOPOGRAPHICAL
SHEETS
Settlements, buildings, roads and railways are important cultural features
shown on topographical sheets through conventional signs, symbols and
colours. The location and pattern of distribution of different features help in
understanding the area shown on the map.
Transport And Communication Pattern
Relief, population, size and resource development pattern of an area directly
influence the means of transport and communication and their density. These
are depicted through conventional signs and symbols. Means of transport and
communication provide useful information about the area shown on the map.
Chapter 1
Methods followed in Topomap drawing
Topographic map is a physiographic divisions which is drawn in a reduced map.
In a Topo sheet of R. F. 1: 50,000 the total extent of 15’ x 15’ is sub divided into
9 grids of 5’x5’ each. Taking the measurement of one such grid, a box is drawn
on white paper. This box is now divided into 3x3 sub parts. Now the box
resembles the map area in a smaller scale. The contour that falls in the cross
section is drawn on this grid as it lies on the map. The region higher than that
contour value is marked in a darker shade and that lower than the contour value
is marked with a lighter shade of brown. This is how the broad physiographic is
made.
The method of drawing Relative Relief from a toposheet include the following
steps.
i. Amongst the 9 grids (5’x5’) the grid which shows both high and low
relief is selected.
ii. The grid is divided into 2cmx2cm divisions denoting small boxes of 1sq
k, according to scale.
iii. The main rivers, tributaries and other water bodies are drawn on the box
resembling them as on the toposheet.
iv. The names and directions of flow are specified.
v. The distribution of vegetation on the map area can be shown on the
reduced map with proper colours and symbols.
vi. In a toposheet, agriculture is depicted by yellow colour.
vii. The distribution of railways and roadways can be shown on the reduced
map must be mentioned.
viii. Analysing the grids of the toposheet, the different settlement density
zones can be identified by looking at them. They are then demarcated
and presented and presented in different colours or shades of red in the
reduced map.
Maps published in metric scale:
Sheet name Expansion Metric scale R.F. Index
number
Million sheet 4×4 1cm 10km 1:1000000 73
Degree sheet 1×1 1cm 2.5km 1:250000 3C
½ inch sheet 30’×30’ 1cm 1km 1:100000 73C/SE
Inch sheet 15’×15’ 2cm 1km 1:50000 73 C/ 13
Chapter 2
INTERPRETATION OF TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS
Knowledge of map language and sense of direction are essential in reading and
interpreting topography-sheets. You must first look for the north line and the
scale of the map and orient yourself accordingly. You must have a thorough
knowledge of the legends given in the map depicting various features. All
topography-sheets contain a table showing conventional signs and symbols
used in the map. Conventional signs and symbols are internationally accepted;
so, anyone can read any map anywhere in the world without knowing the
language of that particular country.
A topographic sheet is usually interpreted under the following heads:
(a) Marginal Information
(b) Relief and Drainage
(c) Land Use
(d) Means of Transport and Communication
(e) Human Settlement
Marginal Information: It includes the topographical sheet number, its location,
grid references, its extent in degrees and minutes, scale, the districts covered,
etc.
Relief of the Area: The general topography of the area is studied to identify
the plains, plateaus, hills or mountains along with peaks, ridges, spur and the
general direction of the slope. These features are studied under the following
heads :
❖ Hill : With concave, convex, steep or gentle slope and shape.
❖ Plateau : Whether it is broad , narrow, flat, undulating or dissected.
❖ Plain : Its types, i.e. alluvial, glacial, karst, coastal, marshy, etc.
❖ Mountain : General elevation, peak, passes, etc.
Drainage of the Area: The important rivers and their tributaries and the type
and extent of valleys formed by them, the types of drainage pattern, i.e.
dendritic, radial, ring, trellis, internal, etc.
Land Use: It includes the use of land under different categories like : ° Natural
vegetation and forest (which part of the area is forested, whether it is dense
forest or thin, and the categories of forest found there like Reserved,
Protected, Classified / Unclassified).
❖ Agricultural, orchard, wasteland, industrial, etc.
❖ Facilities and Services such as schools, colleges, hospitals, parks,
airports, electric substations, etc.
Transport and Communication: The means of transportation include national
or state highways, district roads, cart tracks, camel tracks, footpaths, railways,
waterways, major communication lines, post offices, etc.
Settlement: Settlements are studied under the following heads :
❖ Rural Settlements: The types and patterns of rural settlements, i.e.
compact, semi-compact, dispersed, linear, etc.
❖ Urban Settlements: Type of urban settlements and their functions, i.e.
capital cities, administrative towns, religious towns, port towns, hill
stations, etc
Occupation: The general occupation of the people of the area may be
identified with the help of land use and the type of settlement. For example, in
rural areas the main occupation of majority of the people is agriculture; in
tribal regions, lumbering and primitive agriculture dominates and in coastal
areas, fishing is practised. Similarly, in cities and towns, services and business
appear to be the major occupations of the people.
MAP INTERPRETATION PROCEDURE
Map interpretation involves the study of factors that explain the causal
relationship among several features shown on the map. For example, the
distribution of natural vegetation and cultivated land can be better understood
against the background of landform and drainage. Likewise, the distribution of
settlements can be examined in association with the levels of transport
network system and the nature of topography
The following steps will help in map interpretation:
❖ Find out from the index number of the topographical sheet, the location
of the area in India. This would give an idea of the general
characteristics of the major and minor physiographic divisions of the
area. Note the scale of the map and the contour interval, which will give
the extent and general landform of the area.
❖ Trace out the following features on tracing sheets. (a) Major landforms
– as shown by contours and other graphical features. (b) Drainage and
water features – the main river and its important tributaries. (c) Land
use – i.e. forest, agricultural land, wastes, sanctuary, park, school, etc.
(d) Settlement and Transport pattern.
❖ Describe the distributional pattern of each of the features separately
drawing attention to the most important aspect.
❖ Superimpose pairs of these maps and note down the relationship, if any,
between the two patterns. For example, if a contour map is
superimposed over a land use map, it provides the relationship between
the degree of slope and the type of the land used. Aerial photographs
and satellite imageries of the same area and of the same scale can also
be compared with the topographical map to update the information.
Chapter 3
Analysis of Toposheets
Toposheets of four zones has been drawn, showing the features like, hills,
mountains, plateaus, plains, forested areas, river valleys, agricultural lands,
settlement patterns, roads, railways, power lines.
`MAP 1
45
Map No:- F
12
Latitudinal extent –22° 15‘ - 22° 7’ 33” N
Longitudinal extent – 86° 37‘ 30” - 86° 45’ E
Scale – 1:50000 or 2cm to 1km
Administrative area – Mayurbhanj, Orissa
Contour interval – 20m
Year of survey – 2011
Surveyed under – The Surveyor General of India
Topography: The arrangement of contours and location of the main river shows that the given
map area is located in the border of West Bengal and Orissa.
On the northern part of the map the river Subarnarekha is flowing from north to south east. The
highest contour near the river basin is 60m. The relative height on the bank of the river is 10r
and 11r i.e. 10m and 11m, which proves that the river basin gradually reduces in height towards
the river bed. The national highway NH6 is passing through the grid F1, F2, E2 and D2.
The population density is highest around NH6 and NH5. The highest clusters are located at
grid F1 and D3. The rail line of southeastern railway is passing through the grid D3.
Power lines are located between grid D3, E1 and E2.
45
Map No- F12
Latitudinal extent – 22° 0’ - 23° 15’ N
Longitudinal extent – 86° 30’ E - 86° 45’ E
Scale – 1:50000 or 2cm to 1km
Administrative area – Mayurbhanj, Orissa
Contour interval – 20m
Year of survey – 2011
Surveyed under – The Surveyor General of India
Topography : The protected forest (PF) of Chandua, Kuliana are lying on grid F2 and E5 i.e.
between 86° 40’ - 87° 45’ E longitude and 22 ° 7’30” - 23°15’ N latitude.
A dried up river channel is found within the same area. The state border of West Bengal and
Odhisa is passing through this portion of the map.
Many water bodies are found throughout the map whose depth varies between 3m - 30m
MAP 3
1
Map No:- 7315
Latitudinal extent – 20° 30’ N – 20° 20’ N
Longitudinal extent – 87° 0’ - 87°55’ E
Scale – 1:50000 or 2cm to 1km
Contour interval – 20m
Area – Bankura and Purulia, West Bengal
Year of survey –
Surveyed under – The Surveyor General of India
Topography - Identification of hills, the area of consideration within this map is between
latitude 20° 30’ N – 20° 20’ N and longitude 87° 0’ - 87°55’ E. The grid C2 is special forested
area. The concentric contour lines in this grid indicated presence of hills in the area. The lowest
contour line is 20m, whereas the topmost lies at 440m above sea level. The gradual increase of
contour line indicates the presence of a conical hill in the area. In the base of the hill Susunia
the contour lines are separated from each other with considerable gap between them thus
forming a table like platform. Within the same grid a dried up river channel is also found.
MAP 4
𝑀
Map No: - 73 3
Latitudinal extent – 23°15’- 23°30’N
Longitudinal extent -- 87°0’- 87°15’
Scale – 1:50000 or 2cm to 1km
Administrative area – Bankura
Contour interval – 20m
Year of survey – 1975
Surveyed under – The Surveyor General of India
Topography - The focused area of this map is the grid C (latitude 23° 20’ N - 23° 30’ and
longitude 87°10’ - 87°15’E). No contour line is visible in this portion of the map. The colour
combination of the map shows that the region is mainly plain land. Two reserve forests are
found on the eastern side of the map. A dry stream is passing from western to eastern part of
the map. Here the white portion of the map depicts the plain land with clustered and scattered
settlements. The settlements are near the water bodies.
References
Sarkar Anuj Baran, Sarkar Bidyut and Sengupta Koeli 2016, Higher Secondary Practical
Geohgraphy , Oriental Book company Kolkata.
Website
https://ncert.nic.in/ncerts/l/kegy305.pdf
