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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| topography | The shape of land determined by elevation, relief, and landforms |
| elevation | Height above sea level |
| relief | the difference in elevation between the highest and lowest parts of an area |
| landform | A feature of topography formed by the process that shape Earth's surface |
| plain | A landform made up of flat or gently rolling land with low relief |
| mountain range | A group of mountains the are closely related in shape, structure, area, and age |
| plateau | a large landform that has high elevation and a more or less level surface |
| landform region | a large area of land where the topography is made up mainly of one type of landform |
| globe | A sphere the represents Earth's entire surface |
| map | A flat model of all or part of Earth's surface as seen from above |
| map projection | a framework of lines that helps to transfer points on Earth's surface onto a flat map |
| symbol | On a map, a picture used by mapmakers to stand for features on Earth's surface. |
| key | A list of the symbols used on a map and their meanings. |
| scale | Used to relate distance on a map or globe to distance on Earth's surface |
| degree | A unit used to measure distances around a circle. One degree equals 1/360 of a full circle. |
| equator | An imaginary line that circles Earth halfway between the North and South poles |
| hemisphere | one half of the sphere that makes up Earth's surface |
| prime meridian | The line that makes up a half circle from the North Pole to the South pole and that passes through Greenwich, England. |
| latitude | The distance in degrees north to south of the equator. |
| longitude | The distance is degrees east or west of the prime meridian. |
| mountain | A landform with high elevation and high relief |
| surveying | The process of gathering data for a map by using instruments and the principles of geometry to determine distance ad elevations. |
| digitizing | Converting information to numbers from use by a computer |
| pixel | One bit of a digitized image, often appearing g as a small square or dot. |
| aerial photograph | A photograph taken by cameras mounted in airplanes |
| satellite image | A picture of the land surfaced based on computer data collected from satalites. |
| global positoining system | A navigation system that uses satellites signals to locate a radio on Earth's surface. |
| geographic information system | A system of computer hardware and software used to produce interactive maps. |
| topographic map | A map that shows the surface features of an area. |
| contour line | A line on a topographic map that connects points of equal elevation. |
| contour interval | The difference in elevation from one contour line to the next. |
| index contour | On a topographic map, a heavier contour line that lived beneath Earth's surface. |