Topographic Maps and Digital Elevation Models

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I Hands-On Applications You are probably already familiar with maps used to display roads and political boundaries. The handson exercises that follow develop the basic skills needed to use and interpret the information-rich topographic maps. As you will see throughout this lab manual, such maps are essential for recognizing and understanding the character, origin, and even future of many landscapes. You will also see how geological data, when plotted on maps, can clearly present a picture that is difficult to see without a great deal of field work. Learn well the skills in this chapter, for they will serve you over and over again throughout this class. You will also draw upon these skills if you choose a career dealing with any aspect of the Earth's surface (e.g., in geology, environmental remediation and planning, land use planning, archaeology, biodiversity and ecologic assessment, resources management, parks and recreation, civil engineering, etc.). Objectives If you are assigned all the prob- 6. Number the sections of a direction of stream flow, and lems, you should be able to: township if they are not already locations of hills and valleys. numbered on the map. 1. Define latitude and 13. Determine the contour interval longitude. 7. Determine the scale of a map and of a map. use it to measure distances. 2. Describe the boundaries of a 14. Make a topographic map using quadrangle map in terms of 8. Convert among verbal, fractional, points of elevation to draw latitude and longitude, and and graphic scales. contour lines. locate a point on a map using 9. Give the magnetic declination of IS. Construct a topographic profile these coordinates. a map (assuming it is printed on and determine its vertical 3. Locate a point using the the map) and explain what it exaggeration. Universal Transverse means. 16. Detennine the gradient of a Mercator (UTM) system. 10. Determine what the various stream using a topographic map. 4. Locate or describe a parcel of symbols used on a map mean land using the U.S. Public (symbols for streams, roads, Land Survey System, and houses, etc.). give its area in acres. 11. Use a contour map to determine S. Give the dimensions and area elevation, height, and relief. of a section and township (in 12. Use the characteristics of contours miles and square miles). to determine steepness of slope, Problems 1. The basics of USGS topographic maps: Examine the map provided by your instructor to answer the following questions. Tables to convert between different units are found inside the back cover. Show any calculations you make. a. What is the name of the quadrangle and in what year was it last published or revised? b. As frequently happens, you become interested in a feature that goes off the map. What are the names of the quadrangles to the east and southeast? 107 - - ----~--------- ~-
108 Part III Maps and Images c. What is the northern boundary latitude? Southern boundary latitude? Western boundary longitude? Eastern boundary longitude? Subtract these latitude and longitude numbers to get the size of the quadrangle in units of degrees, minutes, and seconds. d. What is the fractional scale of the map? Determine the approximate verbal scale: I inch = miles. As always, show your calculations. An environmental restoration project requires that you enlarge part of the map to a scale of 1 inch to 1000 feet. Calculate the factor by which it needs to be enlarged. What would the enlargement factor be if you needed a scale of 1 em to 100 m? Hint: Start with the fractional scale. e. What is the contour interval? f. What is the highest elevation within the area designated by your instructor? What is the lowest elevation in that area? What is the relief of the designated area? g. What is the height (not the elevation) of the location designated by your instructor? h. Give the elevation of the location designated by your instructor. I. Determine to the nearest minute the approximate latitude and longitude of the designated feature. j. Determine to the nearest 100 m the full UTM coordinates of the designated feature. k. If the map is subdivided by the Township-Range method, locate the feature designated by your instructor to the nearest Y,6th of a section. I. What is the approximate size of the area designated by your instructor (in acres, if subdivided by the Township-Range method, in square meters if the UTM method is preferred)? m. Use the graphic scale to determine the distance in miles and kilometers between the features designated by your instructor. n. In what direction does the water flow in the stream designated by your instructor? o. What is the magnetic declination (in degrees) indicated on the map? In which year was this value measured?
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Topographic Maps and Digital Elevation Models

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