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What are Contours?
Contour lines connect a series of points of equal elevation
and are used to illustrate topography, or relief, on a map. They show
the height of ground above Mean Sea Level (M.S.L.) in either feet or
metres and can be drawn at any desired interval. For example, numerous
contour lines that are close together indicate hilly or mountainous
terrain; when far apart, they represent a gentler slope
Contour Mapping
Topographic maps use contour lines to indicate
the shape and elevation of these landscape features because it is difficult,
as we have already
discovered, to show three-dimensional objects, like hills
and valleys, on a two-dimensional surface, like a map. Contour lines
are lines that
connect the location of equal measures of elevation.
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