RELIEF: mountains, canyons, depressions, plateaus, slopes and valleys. This legend is now a complex document that explains the subtleties within each category of features. This is a single sheet map printed in colour. The feature that makes this possible is contour lines: Contour lines indicate the steepness of terrain. These lines connect spots with the same elevation and allow you to visualize what a landscape looks like. The most common map symbols are shown and defined in the following images: Transportation Features: Roads and Trails

Contour interval: The change in elevation from one contour line to the next is always the same within the same map. For example, individual houses may be shown as small black squares. 402 reviews with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars, How contour lines let you visualize your terrain, Distances between trail junctions and landmarks. Organization, jobs, budget Your map will then be able to tell you a richly detailed tale about the terrain you’ll be exploring. For example, if your U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) map has a scale of 1:24,000, it means that 1 inch on the map is equal to 24,000 inches (2,000 feet or 610 meters) in the real world. HM20C/2 is the black and white version.
Also known as topo maps, these maps are so-called planimetric.

If contour lines lie close to each other, that indicates a steep slope.



It is a bilingual version and contours are at 100m interval. They are categorized in intervals. Generally, green indicates denser vegetation, while light or colorless areas suggest open terrain. One side of the line is higher, the other side is lower.

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Over time the maps became more detailed and new symbols were added for the different terrain, natural features, land boundaries, and man-made structures depicted by the surveyors.



The topographic maps on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and have evolved for more than a century. Scouts and hikers also find this very They highlight key features and update details regularly.

North is always, without exception, the top of your map.



It’s loaded with map-reading clues and navigational data. As mentioned above, the contour lines are brown-colored, as are their respective elevation numbers. It is a bilingual version and contours are at 100m interval.

For example, a scale of 1:20,000 means that one inch on your map correlates to 20,000 inches in the real world.

Coordinates: 55.13312 10.59310 69.05997 24.17768. Over time the maps became more detailed and new symbols were added for the different terrain, natural features, land boundaries, and man-made structures depicted by the surveyors.

Click a star to rate. Fortunately, this couldn’t be any easier. Features on a topographic map include the following. March 03, 2019. And, as you’d expect, streams and lakes are shown in blue. Features are shown as points, lines, or areas, depending on their size and extent.

Maximum elevation: 6,999 ft. Average elevation: 394 ft. Sweden. Schedule for Small Scale Maps, To view or print the above document (PDF format), you need to use. Covering the entire country, its maps consisted of rectangular areas of land called quadrangles (“quads” for short).

Color designations make topographic maps much easier to read.

The first number on any scale legend is one.

map series serves many purposes and is often used by schools in The map’s scale tells you how detailed your map is. AQUATIC: rivers and streams, lakes, seas, swamps and waterfalls. Every once in a while, a circle indicates a depression rather than a peak. Thin brown lines snaking their way across the map, contour lines connect places with the same elevation. Also read our companion article, How to Use a Compass. You should also see elevations decreasing as you get near the depression. Quick Guide.

This is a single sheet map printed in colour with hill shading and layer tinting. In a similar way, changes are made to the symbols shown on NTS maps. Map Index(PDF Format)

The lowest elevation in Sweden is in the bay of Lake Hammarsjön, near Kristianstad, at −2.41 m (−7.91 ft) below sea level.
Common road maps are planimetric maps as well, but they contain much less information. It's one of the Ten Essentials, but do you know how to use your compass? Contours are at 100m interval with supplementary contours at 50m level. Learn the basics of declination, bearings and how to use them.

Studying a topo map of a familiar area is a great way to learn how to match terrain features with the contour lines on a map. Their wealth of information is also a great help when, It is also important to realize that, because contour lines come in intervals, there might be elevation change, between 40-foot contour lines, there might be a 20-foot cliff or 30-foot ravine. It offers more generalised view of the major topography of the territory. Generally, green indicates denser vegetation, while light or colorless areas suggest open terrain.

Their wealth of information is also a great help when planning a backpacking trip. All rights reserved.

The topographic maps on TopoZone were created by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and have evolved for more than a century. They are available in two standard scales: 1:50 000 and 1:250 000.

between the contour lines. Powered by Shopify.

They’re critical with regards to how to read a topographic map. Newer editions of 1/50 000 and 1/250 000 maps use symbols which look different from older NTS maps.

It is printed in colour on both sides with hill shading and layer tinting.

In order to be able to use your topographic map on the trail, together with your compass, you must know where north is. It offers a general view of Instead, to represent a large area, cartographers make maps on a ratio scale. It offers more generalised view of the major topography of the territory. Learning to read that paper topo map (short for topographic map) is every bit as essential.

(Finding a map for a lesser-known area will be more difficult.).

These lines aren’t marked, but indicate smaller intervals between the main contour lines’ intervals. They show the world from a bird’s eye view, perpendicular to the ground.

2.

For larger buildings, the actual shapes are mapped. Lifetime membership is just $20.

Having map-reading skills and knowing how to use a compass can literally save your life. All points on a contour line have the same elevation (above sea level). November 30, 2019, Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more …, © 2020 HMWOutdoors.

hill shading and layer tinting. Start by studying what each line, symbol and color means.

They have a lot going on with different colors, lines, and labels […] Read full post . HOW TO STAY SAFE FROM LIGHTNING IN THE BACKCOUNTRY (ACCORDING TO A METEOROLOGIST), 17 WAYS TO PREVENT HYPOTHERMIA WHILE OUTDOORS. Also known as topo maps, these maps are so-called, Common road maps are planimetric maps as well, but they contain much less information. 3. This legend is now a complex do Contours are at 50m interval. Below is the latest version of the legend that includes symbols and colors used on USGS topo maps. Topographic maps are different from other types of maps because of their high level of detail. The two sheets can be joined together to form a wall map.

Identify subtler features like cliffs, which have contour lines grouped tightly together, and ridgelines, which connect peaks and have contour lines that decrease in elevation on each side. This map comprises of two sheets depicting the whole territory of Hong Kong.



suitable for use in hiking and orienteering activities. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. It offers a general view of the topography of Hong Kong. Contour lines crossing a stream or river will form a V-shaped pattern on the map. In general, these are the major color categories used on USGS topo maps. 1. Regular map readers rarely get lost.

Besides contour lines, you’ll find many other features on a topographic map. Houses are small black rectangles. TOPONYMICAL: names of places, water features and highways. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. And, as you’d expect, streams and lakes are shown in blue. Lines located further apart mean a flatter landscape. Printed in colour CULTURAL: roads, buildings, power lines, railroads, urban spaces and boundaries. If you do know, however, these maps are a godsend on wilderness hikes.

Pick out features like peaks and saddles.

Red lines represent major roads. This article is part of our series: A 1:24000 scale, for example, means one inch equals 24,000 inches in reality. Many public lands areas (national parks, national forests, state parks, recreational areas) produce maps to cover the land inside their boundaries.

There are 16 sheets covering the whole territory Where contour lines are wide apart, elevation is changing slowly, indicating a gentle slope.

In practical terms: a line marked “2,500 feet” means that it represents all points on the map located 2,500 feet above sea level. Fortunately, this couldn’t be any easier.

Contour lines represent the topography. Like.

He’s explored 28 national parks and visited 45 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

These maps are more likely to be available for popular areas. For U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps, 1:24,000 is the scale most often used. Larger buildings such as shopping malls and factories are shown as their actual shapes. Topographic Map Legend and Symbols. 4.

This twelve-minute video by Reality Survival shows you clearly how to read contour lines, the most important feature of topographic maps.

Check their websites to see if they offer printed or downloadable topographic maps for backcountry users. Map Legend(PDF Format).

A larger scale, like 1:65,000, means that a map covers a larger area, but that it will have less detail. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services.

by Richard White II The highest point is Kebnekaise at 2,111 m (6,926 ft) above sea level. The intervals depend on the scale of the map and sometimes on the represented landscape. Information about the device's operating system, Information about other identifiers assigned to the device, The IP address from which the device accesses a client's website or mobile application, Information about the user's activity on that device, including web pages and mobile apps visited or used, Information about the geographic location of the device when it accesses a website or mobile application.

Practice reading features from a map of a familiar area. Contour lines connect points that share the same elevation: Where they’re close together (they never intersect), elevation is changing rapidly in short distance and the terrain is steep. Contour lines also indicate the shape of the terrain.