Methods of relief representation
Topic: Topographical Maps: Relief Representation and Interpretation · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 5 "Topographical Maps"
Meaning
Methods of relief representation are ways of showing the earth's highs and lows on a flat map. The main methods are hachures (short slope lines), hill shading (light and shadow), layer tints (colours for height zones), bench marks (permanent height marks), spot heights (dots with heights) and contours (lines joining places of equal height). Hachures and hill shading show the shape of the land but no exact heights. On topographical maps, contours and spot heights are the main methods because they give exact heights.
Example
A Survey of India 1:50,000 sheet of the Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu shows relief with brown contours and spot heights on the hilltops. A school atlas map of the same area uses layer tints instead, shading the hills in browns and the plains around them in green.
Don't confuse with
- Contours and spot heights: both give exact heights. A contour joins many points of the same height, while a spot height marks the height of only one point.