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ELL Earth Sci 3.2&3
Reading Maps
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| cartography | the science of making maps |
| map projection | a flat piece of paper which represents the 3-dimensional curved surface of a globe |
| legend | a list of symbols and their meanings (also called a key) |
| scale | a relationship between distance shown on the map and actual distance |
| topographical map | map showing surface features of the Earth |
| elevation | height above or below average sea level (mean sea level) |
| mean sea level | midpoint between the highest and lowest tides of the ocean |
| contour line | line on a topographical map connecting points of the map having the same elevation |
| contour interval | the difference in elevation between two contour lines |
| index contour | a bold contour line printed every 5th line making it easier to view elevation changes on a map |
| relief | the distance between the highest and lowest elevations of the area being mapped |
| depression contours | contour lines marked with short straight lines to show depression (ie top of volcanos) |