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What are contour intervals?

Updated: 8/11/2023
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12y ago

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Contour lines were first used in the Schiehallion Experiment. This was an experiment designed to find the mass of a mountain, and by calculation, the mass of the Earth!!

Contour lines were invented by Charles Hutton, in 1774, as a method of determining (in that case) the volume of the mountain.

They are now commonly shown on topographic maps as a method of indicating the shape of the land and the depths of lakes and the sea. The intervals vary according to the need of the map, but common 1:50 000 maps have then indicated every 20 m, with the 100m lines shown slightly bolder.

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12y ago

The difference in elevation represented by the space between adjacent contour lines.

- Mrs. Brandilynn Ramos! :)-

THE ELEVATION DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO ADJACENT CONTOUR LINES

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Q: What are contour intervals?
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Related questions

What is the elevation between two side-by-side contour lines called?

contour intervals


Explain contour lines and contour intervals and what they tell you about a topographic map?

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On a topographic map relief is shown using what?

countour intervals


Exact height of a location on a topographic map is called?

Contour intervals


Contour intervals are most likely to be smallest on maps of?

Relatively flat terrain.


What is the elevation change between two adjacent lines on the map?

Those lines representing elevation on a map are called contour lines. The difference in elevation between two of these lines is called the contour interval. Different maps use different contour intervals based on the scale of the map, or in other words, the size of the contour interval is based on how zoomed in and detailed the map is. Sometimes a map will have darker and thicker contour intervals. This is called the Index Contour Interval. Index contour intervals appear less frequently and represent a larger elevation change. It helps you figure out the amount of a large elevation difference faster because usually they are multiples of 100 or 1000, making them easier to add up.


What is the elevation change between two adjacent lines on a map?

Those lines representing elevation on a map are called contour lines. The difference in elevation between two of these lines is called the contour interval. Different maps use different contour intervals based on the scale of the map, or in other words, the size of the contour interval is based on how zoomed in and detailed the map is. Sometimes a map will have darker and thicker contour intervals. This is called the Index Contour Interval. Index contour intervals appear less frequently and represent a larger elevation change. It helps you figure out the amount of a large elevation difference faster because usually they are multiples of 100 or 1000, making them easier to add up.


What information does a map's contour interval provide?

Most likely you says about contour interval. It's the difference in height between two sequential contour lines. For example, if the contour interval is 50 meters and some contour line corresponds 2000m above sea level, the next contour uphill was at 2050m then 2100m etc. Different maps use different intervals. It depends on map scale and terrain type (for mountain areas intervals are higher than for plains). The contour interval is shown on the map collar (typically near the scale).


What are A series of light brown lines drawn at intervals of 50 feet to designate their respective heights above sea level called?

contour lines


What are contour intervals and contour lines?

Acontour line (also level set, isopleth, isoline, isogram or isarithm) of a function of two variables is a curve along which the function has a constant value.[1] In cartography, a contour line (often just called a "contour") joins points of equal elevation (height) above a given level, such as mean sea level.[2] A contour map is a map illustrated with contour lines, for example a topographic map, which thus shows valleys and hills, and the steepness of slopes.[3] The contour interval of a contour map is the difference in elevation between successive contour lines.[4] A contour interval is basically the same thing.


19 What is a contour line?

A contour line is a line linking points of equal height on a map. They are drawn at regular intervals, often every 20m or 25m of elevation. They can be used to show the shape (contours) of the land. Closer contour lines mean a steeper slope, while wider spaces show a gentler slope.


What is the elevation difference between one contour line and the next?

The height between contours is usually stated in the map's legend. For instance, on an Ordnance Survey (UK) 1:50 000 Landranger Series, contours are at 10 metres vertical interval.