代码解释地形图（ instructionsfor interpreting topographic maps）.docVIP

Instructions for Interpreting Topographic Maps by Robert Blodgett, Austin Community College, 2000 Most of us navigate every day without the aid of a map or compass, and accurate maps are only important when we buy or sell a piece of property. In contrast to our private lives, map reading and map preparation skills are becoming increasingly important in solving problems of environmental contamination and public health. This document outlines the fundamentals of reading and interpreting a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic map. These maps are used extensively by local, state, and federal agencies, and by scientists conducting field studies. Topographic maps differ from county and state highway maps in that they depict the shape and elevation of the Earths surface, its topography. This document is divided into four parts: map margin, map symbols, contours, and map acquisition. Map Margins The margins of a USGS topographic map contain a great deal of information: the map name and number, date of publication, location within the state, map scale, the direction of the North Pole, technical data on map production, the name of adjacent maps, and several grid systems for locating features on the map. We will examine each of these types of information starting with the lower right-hand comer of the map and proceeding in a clockwise direction. Map Name Each topographic map is named for a prominent cultural feature, usually a community, that is found on the map. This name appears in capital letters in the lower right-hand comer of the map. In areas where prominent cultural features are sparse, or where a large part of a community is depicted on more than one map, the map name may include a compass direction, such as LUBBOCK SOUTH, BEAUMONT EAST, and EL CAMPO SE. With a few exceptions, map names are generally not duplicated within a state. Date of Publication One or more dates appear below the map name in the lower right hand comer. The date of publicati