Cross-section
Also called: Profile, Section · Topic: Topographical Maps: Relief Representation and Interpretation · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 5 "Topographical Maps"
Meaning
A cross-section (also called a section or profile) is a side view of the ground, as if the land were cut straight down along a line. To draw one, you:
- draw a line across the contours;
- mark each place where a contour crosses the line, with its height;
- plot those points at their heights on a chosen vertical scale;
- join the points smoothly.
The vertical scale is usually made larger than the horizontal one. This is called vertical exaggeration, and it makes the relief easier to see. A cross-section also shows intervisibility, that is, whether one point can be seen from another.
Example
A cross-section drawn from the Konkan coast eastward across the Western Ghats in Maharashtra shows a steep climb on the western side. It then shows a long, gentle slope down onto the Deccan Plateau.