What purpose do topographic maps serve?

A topographic map show the physical shape of the land it maps. The height of the land (relief) is usually shown using contour lines, but some maps still use shading schemes to designate height, or a combination of the two. read more

Contour lines join points with the same values/characteristics from an area on a map representation. On topographic maps they join points with the same elevation, as shown in this 2d/3d image comparison. read more

Topographic map show differences in elevation through the use of contour lines. They occasionally show how high a certain place is by putting the elevation on a contour line. The closer the contour lines are the steeper it is. read more