| There are many uses for understanding how to read | | | | Contour maps show elevation by lines of different |
| elevation data, yet unless you are able to understand | | | | darkness. Only the darkest lines are labeled with their |
| what you are reading, there is no way to gain anything | | | | elevation, otherwise the maps would be too confusing |
| from the information. The elevation of something | | | | to read. You can see the individual lines and figure out |
| refers to its geometric height, but with the earth it | | | | each of their elevation, as all of the contour lines are |
| refers to its height in reference to sea level. The | | | | spaced vertically equally along the slope. If you were |
| following are a few examples of when reading | | | | to walk along a contour line, you would neither gain nor |
| elevation data effectively is necessary. | | | | lose elevation. |
| - Highway construction | | | | Lines that are close together denote a steep side |
| - Education for grade school children | | | | rather than a gentle slope. A cliff is almost impossible |
| - Risk assessment for environmental hazards (floods, | | | | to draw using a contour topographic elevation map |
| wildfires, mudslides, earthquakes) | | | | because most of the lines would be directly on top of |
| - Water supply routes | | | | each other. |
| - Water treatment routes | | | | If you are able to see completely closed contour lines |
| - Water drainage | | | | on a map, you are probably looking at a simple hill. You |
| - Planning Marathons and Triathlons | | | | can also see major drainage on a topographic map, |
| Earth's elevation is simply the lands' height above sea | | | | denoted by a difference in color shade and dips in the |
| level. Sea level, which is right where the water meets | | | | contour lines. |
| the shore, has the elevation of zero. On a topographic | | | | There are many different programs now available to |
| map or 2-D elevation contour map, the terrain is | | | | help you read elevation data effectively. They offer |
| represented by bands of elevations that connect | | | | graphed, 3-D, 2-D, grayscale, and colorful options to |
| points of equal elevation as well as spot elevations | | | | help you read and understand the information in the |
| denoted by heavier coloration on the map. | | | | most coherent way possible. |