The lines bend upward to show that the stream is running the opposite way. (For example, if the lines are pointing north, the stream is running south)
**Contour lines bend toward the source when they go over a river/stream.
Contour lines point uphill when they cross a stream due to the topographic representation of elevation. As water flows downhill, the contour lines indicate changes in elevation; when they intersect a stream, they form a V shape that points upstream. This orientation shows that the higher land lies in the direction of the point of the "V," indicating that the elevation increases as you move away from the stream. Thus, the V shape helps visualize the relationship between the stream and the surrounding terrain.
A contour map shows lines which connect areas equal in height. These lines are called contours and should be labelled to show the height that each contour represents. A stream flows downhill, this is due to gravity. Thus, to determine which way a stream flows, find contours, at least two, that intersect the path of the stream, then look at the heights these contours represents(their labels). The stream will flow from the contour labelled with the higher number towards the contour labelled with the lower number. PS. sometimes not all the contours are numbered, but only say every fith contour is numbered, then you can assume that all contours are equally incremented i.e. the height difference from one contour to the next stays equal.
The point of the V is probably where there is a stream, river or wash.
V-shaped contour lines on a topographic map indicate a valley or a stream flowing downhill. The point of the "V" typically points upstream, while the open end points downstream. As you move downhill, these lines converge, indicating a decrease in elevation and the presence of a sloping terrain. This pattern helps identify the direction of water flow and the shape of the landscape.
The point of the V is probably where there is a stream, river or wash.
Contour lines point uphill when they cross a stream due to the topographic representation of elevation. As water flows downhill, the contour lines indicate changes in elevation; when they intersect a stream, they form a V shape that points upstream. This orientation shows that the higher land lies in the direction of the point of the "V," indicating that the elevation increases as you move away from the stream. Thus, the V shape helps visualize the relationship between the stream and the surrounding terrain.
On a contour map, streams flow perpendicular to the contour lines. When the contour lines are spaced closely together, they indicate a steep slope, while widely spaced lines suggest a gentle slope. If the contour lines form a "V" shape that points upstream, the stream flows downhill, away from the point of the "V." Therefore, the direction of flow can be determined by observing the orientation of the contour lines in relation to the stream.
Because we know that water cannot flow uphill, the flow must go from higher contours to lower ones.
Water flows downhill. Contour lines show the slope of the landscape, and the direction a stream must flow.
indicated with different kind of contour numbers , which are showed in brown curved lines
Contour lines that are close together indicate steep terrain, such as hills or mountains. When contour lines form closed loops with smaller lines inside, this indicates a depression or valley. The direction the contour lines bend can also show the shape of the land, with convex lines indicating hills and concave lines indicating valleys.
Contour lines need to bend uphill to indicate a stream valley. It's like nature's way of saying, "Hey, there's a river flowing through here, pay attention!" So, if you see those contour lines curving uphill, you better believe there's some water action happening nearby.
Contour lines crossing a small stream will point upstream as they represent the elevation change of the terrain. This means that the elevation increases as you move in the upstream direction.
You can tell if a stream is flowing into a pond on a topographic map by looking at the contour lines around the stream and pond. If the contour lines of the stream are crossing over and descending towards the pond, it indicates that the stream is flowing into the pond. Additionally, the elevation values of the contour lines can also help determine the flow direction.
A series of closed contour lines most likely represents a topographic map showing elevation levels of an area. Each contour line connects points of the same elevation, with lines closer together indicating steep slopes and lines farther apart indicating flat terrain.
The contour lines around the mountain would be close together, indicating a steep slope, while the contour lines around the low hills would be more spaced out, indicating a gentler slope.
- Contour lines never cross. All lines on a contour line represent one elevation.- The spacing of contour lines depends on slope characteristics. Contour lines that are close together show a steep slope. Contour lines that are far apart show a gentle slope.- Contour lines that cross a valley or a stream are V shaped. The C points toward the area of the highest elevation. If a stream or river flows through the valley, the V points upstream.-The tops of the hills, mountains, and depressions are shown by closed circles. Depressions are marked with short, straight lines inside the circle that point down slope to the depression.