Dark greens are used for near-sea-level elevations, and the green grades to tan and brown as elevation increases. The highest elevations are shown in shades of gray.
If you are familiar with the physical features of Eurasia, you can probably recognize the Himalaya Mountain Range, the Tibetan Plateau, the Alps, and the more subtle Ural Mountains. Lake Baikal, the world's largest freshwater lake by volume, can be seen in central Asia.
Physical maps are designed to show the natural landscape features of Earth. They are best known for showing topography, either by colors or as shaded relief. Physical maps often have a green to brown to gray color scheme for showing the elevation of the land. Darker greens are used for near-sea-level elevations, with the color grading into tans and browns as elevations increase.
The color gradient often terminates in shades of gray for the highest elevations. Rivers, lakes, seas and oceans are usually shown in blue, often with a light blue color for the most shallow areas and darkening in a gradient or by intervals for areas of deeper water.
Glaciers and ice caps are shown in white colors. Physical maps usually show the most important political boundaries, such as state and country boundaries. Major cities and major roads are often shown. This cultural information is not the focus of a physical map, but it is often included for geographic reference and to increase the utility of the map for many users.
Google Map of Washington, D. It superbly presents road and street maps. It is also the world's favorite route planning and street view service. The service has been specifically designed for those tasks. Google Maps also has special tools that enable you to query "nearby" restaurants, hotels, bars and pubs, museums, pizza, bike shops, schools, attorneys, etc.
If you allow Google Maps to use your current GPS location, you can use the "add destination" tool to plot a car, walking, bike, or public transportation route. Google Maps will even estimate the amount of time required for your trip. The author uses this feature of Google Maps more than any other mapping tool. The digital mapping revolution caused an explosion of map creation in the s. In , MapQuest , the first popular online mapping service, allowed anyone with internet access the ability to create customized maps of almost any location in the United States.
Within a few months, millions of people had become "cartographers". They were soon producing more unique maps in a single day than had been created during the entire history of paper cartography! Today, Google Maps is the world's most popular online mapping system. In addition to maps, the service also provides travel route directions.
It can create directions for people who are driving, taking public transportation, walking, cycling or taking a plane. Billions of unique maps, millions of travel routes, and millions of street views are created each day with Google Maps. It is the first place millions of people go to plan any type of travel. Google has another product named " Google Earth " that allows people to view streets, roads and satellite images within a single interface.
Google Earth is a free download - the software installs on your computer and fetches the image directly from the Google Earth server. The maps present a combination of road, topography, cultural and recreational information.
These "hybrid maps" are a favorite of people who work and play outdoors in rural areas. This map shows Earth's topography using brown contour lines with a contour interval of 20 feet. Roads, place names, streams and other features are also shown. Areas on the map where the brown contour lines are close together have steep slopes.
Areas where the contour lines are spaced far apart have gentler slopes. If you would like to view the full 7. This map is a very large file over 30 megabytes and will take a few minutes to download on some desktop computers and mobile phones. They usually do this with lines of equal elevation known as "contour lines", but elevation can also be shown using colors second map , color gradients , shaded relief and a number of other methods.
Topographic maps are frequently used by hunters, hikers, skiers, and others seeking outdoor recreation. They are also essential tools of the trade for geologists, surveyors, engineers, construction workers, landscape planners, architects, biologists and many other professions - especially people in the military.
Topographic maps also show other important natural features such as lakes, rivers and streams. Their locations are determined by topography, making them important natural elements of topographic maps. Important cultural features are also shown on topographic maps. These include roads, trails, buildings, place names, bench marks, cemeteries, churches, schools and much more. A standardized set of special symbols has been developed for this use.
Topographic maps have traditionally been printed on large sheets of paper with their four boundaries being lines of longitude and latitude. The United States Geological Survey is the most widely known organization for producing them. They produce a series of 7. These maps and maps of many other scales are available from USGS in both print and digital form. Commercial publishers of topographic maps include the DeLorme Atlas paper maps in books with state-wide coverage and MyTopo a source of digital and paper maps in traditional topographic and topophoto formats - we are affiliates of MyTopo and receive a commission on referred sales.
World Time Zone Map: On this map, the world's 24 time zones are shown as colored bands. By looking at the numbers along the top and bottom of the map, you can determine the time difference between two locations. Time zones do not follow lines of longitude. Instead they mostly follow political boundaries, with many variations made for social and commercial convenience. Click to enlarge this time zone map compiled by the Central Intelligence Agency.
Time zones are regions of the world where people set their clocks to display the same time of day. This synchronization of time has many commercial, navigational, and social benefits. By international agreement there are 24 time zones around the world. These 24 zones are shown in the accompanying time zone map. In each of these zones, noon occurs at the approximate time of the solar mid-day.
The actual solar noon occurs a little earlier in the east side of the time zone and a little later in the west. This variation is caused by Earth's rotation. Time zone maps are reference maps that people use to determine the time in different parts of the world.
For example if a person in New York City wants to phone a person in Los Angeles, he can look at a time zone map and determine that New York City time is three hours ahead of Los Angeles time. This helps people to avoid placing calls outside of business hours and helps people in different time zones schedule meetings and phone calls at mutually agreeable times.
Time zones are usually superimposed on a political map of the world or a map of a large single country such as the United States. The roads and city streets can faintly be seen through the translucent colors of the geologic units. The western portion of the map is underlain by Quaternary sediments, while the eastern portion is underlain by folded and intensely faulted bedrock. Dotted lines show the probable traces of faults buried below the Quaternary sediments.
Geologic maps of this area can be important first tools in conducting an earthquake hazard assessment. Graymer, U. Geologic maps show the types of rocks and sediments present immediately below the surface of a geographic area. Sediment cover is shown in shades of yellow, and rock units are shown in a variety of colors, often based upon their lithology. Rock unit contacts, faults, folds, and strike and dip measurements are plotted in black.
Geologic maps are important data sources for many types of work. Certain types of rock are used for construction materials, and a geologic map shows where they are located at the surface. Other types of rock might contain valuable minerals , and a geologic map can be used as a preliminary tool for deciding where to drill or prospect. Areas near volcanoes might be underlain by lava flows, lahar deposits, pyroclastic flows or other volcanic products.
Geologic maps can be used to conduct a preliminary volcanic hazard assessment of an area. Construction projects require good foundation materials and sources of crushed stone and other materials. Geologic maps can be used for the preliminary work of identifying potentially stable sites near economic sources of suitable construction materials. Geologic Cross-Section illustrating the subsurface structure of rocks in the map area above.
This cross-section represents a southwest-northeast slice through the map area, showing folds, faults, a sediment lens and a view of the creeping portion of the Hayward Fault.
Geologic maps are made by geologists in the field who identify, sample, and measure the rocks. Because rocks are not exposed in all locations - especially in areas with heavy vegetation - they are often based upon fragmentary information.
This fragmentary information can be supplemented when construction projects, landslides , stream erosion and other events expose rock beneath previously unobserved areas. As a result, geologic maps can be refined and updated as new information is obtained.
Many industries and governments use GIS technology for analysis and decision making. For example, GIS data helps officials determine which streams are most in danger of being polluted.
It can also help a business decide where to locate a new store. History of Mapmaking Through the ages, maps have taken many different forms. The earliest maps were probably sketches made on the ground that showed the surrounding area. People native to the Marshall Islands used palm fibers to show wave patterns between islands in the Pacific Ocean.
They used seashells to represent islands. Inuit fishermen in the Arctic carved pieces of driftwood to show coastal features. It dates back nearly 14, years.
The ancient Greeks are usually considered the founders of scientific cartography. Greek scholars knew the general size and shape of Earth, and they developed the grid system of latitude and longitude. Eratosthenes , who lived from about to B. Claudius Ptolemaeus, or Ptolemy , was an astronomer , mathematician , and geographer in the second century A. He brought mapmaking to a level of precision that would not be seen again until the fifteenth century.
He combined all his knowledge about the world into a book called Geography. In Europe during the Middle Ages , cartographers drew maps reflecting their religious beliefs. These maps were generally simple and sometimes fanciful. The city of Jerusalem, holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, was sometimes placed in the center.
The Nile and the Don meet in a single line to form the top of the T. During these Dark Ages in Europe, Arab scholars kept scientific cartography alive. They preserved the works of Ptolemy and translated them to Arabic. Arab cartographers produced the first reliable globe of the Western world. During the Islamic Golden Age , Arab cartographers used complicated mathematical and astronomical formulas to help them determine different map projections.
In , the scientist and cartographer al-Idrisi made a map of the world that was better than the world maps Europeans were producing. In the fifteenth century, cartography in Europe improved. The development of printing and engraving meant maps that had previously been painted by hand could be copied more quickly. Around the same time, sailors began traveling farther on the oceans. They added newly discovered lands and more detailed coastlines to their maps.
Explorers brought back descriptions of the interiors, as well as the coastlines, of continents. Europeans explored much of the Americas during the sixteenth century, Australia in the seventeenth century, and Antarctica was finally sighted in the early nineteenth century. At this point, fairly accurate maps of the entire world were beginning to be assembled. In the nineteenth century, cartography became more advanced with the development of a printing process called lithography.
Lithography allowed cartographers to make many accurate copies of maps with less labor and expense. Photography, color printing, and computers all improved mapmaking even more. In just a few decades, the relationship between people and maps changed drastically. For example, instead of using paper street maps, many people navigate using GPS units that communicate with satellites to determine their exact location on Earth.
Digital versions of maps can represent Earth in three dimensions, defying the limitations of the flat maps of the past. Almost the entire surface of Earth has been mapped with remarkable accuracy, and this information is available instantly to anyone with an internet connection. Eratosthenes Eratosthenes was an astronomer, librarian, mathematician, and poet. He also invented the discipline of geography in his spare time. Using the position of the sun, Eratosthenes was able to calculate the circumference of the Earth without leaving Egypt, his home.
He used the length of a stadium as his unit of distance. Because stadiums came in two different sizes in the world of ancient Greece, and we dont know which stadium Eratosthenes used, we cant know exactly what he calculated for the circumference of the Earth. If he used the larger Greek stadium, his circumference would be larger than the Earth by about 16 percent. If he used the smaller, so-called "Egyptian stadium," his calculation would still be largerbut only by 1 percent.
Printing Pioneers The Chinese were skilled cartographers. The first map was printed in China in A. Beyond Earth Using images taken from spacecraft, cartographers have created detailed maps of the surfaces of the Moon and Mars. Astrocartographers have identified Martian valleys, craters, and even dry riverbeds. Misleading Maps A type of cylindrical projection called a Mercator projection shows direction well. It was long used to make charts that sailors could use to find their way around the globe.
Like all cylindrical projections, a Mercator projection greatly distorts the size of land near the poles. In a Mercator projection, Greenland and Africa are about the same size. In reality, Africa is 14 times the size of Greenland. Also called a temperate zone.
Sea level is determined by measurements taken over a year cycle. United States Geological Survey primary source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment.
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If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives. A political boundary is an imaginary line separating one political unit, such as a country or state, from another.
Sometimes these align with a natural geographic feature like a river to form a border or barrier between nations. Occasionally, two countries may contest where a particular border is drawn. These disputes might arise due to a natural resource both groups want, like in the case of Sudan and South Sudan, or in an attempt to gain more political power, as in the case of Pakistan and India in the Kashmir region. Use these resources to explore more about political boundaries. A territory is land a person or government protects from intruders or outsiders.
Some territories have defined boundaries like a nation, province, or city, while others, like a neighborhood, may not. The people living in a particular territory often share similar traits, like ethnicity, culture, or religion. In some places, the exact boundary and who claims what land is questioned. An example of this is the region of Kashmir between India and Pakistan which has been under dispute since the s. Help your students cross the boundary to understanding territorial divisions with these resources.
In geography, boundaries separate different regions of Earth. A physical boundary is a naturally occurring barrier between two or more areas. Physical boundaries include oceans, cliffs, or valleys. Select from these educational resources to teach middle school students more about physical boundaries. Whether your map is paper or digital, mastering the basics of reading it are vital to finding your way around and understanding how the world works.
Maps are fantastic visual tools that can help us communicate spatial concepts and patterns, tell stories, and analyze data. However, there are some challenges to translating Earth onto a flat surface without adding bias or inaccuracies. The straight white lines represent survey. Skip to main content. Search Search. Mapping, Remote Sensing, and Geospatial Data.
Within this domain there are two product categories: US Topo maps are the current topographic map series, published as digital documents that can also be printed from to the present. Apply Filter.
How do I find, download, or order topographic maps? The best known USGS maps are the ,scale topographic maps, also known as 7. Download all dates and scales of USGS topographic maps free of charge from the following applications or order paper copies of all TopoView - Click on any of the round map scale indicators on the right side of the map.
The National Map Viewer - Click on the How are U. Geological Survey topographic maps named? A USGS topographic map is usually named for the most prominent feature within the bounds of the map, which is frequently a community.
If the community for which the map should be named falls on two or more maps, a directional Do you offer teacher discounts for your maps and other cost products? To receive any discounts you must first be set up in their system.
Please fax your request on school letterhead or on a purchase order to and include your Federal Tax ID number not to be confused with your Federal Tax Exempt Superseded US Topo maps will remain available for download, but will not become part of the Historical Topographic Map Collection , which is scans of USGS topographic quadrangles originally published as paper documents between The first US Topo maps were published in They are updated and superseded every 3 years maps for one There are multiple copies of the same map in your Historical Topographic Map Collection that all have the same date.
Is there a difference between those maps? Yes, these are different maps that typically resulted from revisions and reprints. The differences are often minor. The date used to identify a map can be found in the lower right corner. If there are multiple editions with the same compilation date, look for additional dates in the lower right portion of the map collar that might differentiate How do I get a full-scale plot of a ,scale 7.
There are three ways to get full-scale plots of USGS topographic quadrangle maps, including both Historical Topographic maps produced and US Topo maps produced present.
Download the GeoPDF map file and send it to a local printing How current are US Topo maps? US Topo maps are updated on a three-year production cycle maps covering one third of the country are updated each year.
The US Topo production schedule follows the U. This does not include US Topos for Alaska, which are on a different schedule. Historically, USGS topographic maps were made using data from primary sources including direct field observations. Those maps were compiled, drawn, and edited by hand.
By today's standards, those traditional methods are very expensive and time-consuming, and the USGS no longer has funding to make maps that way. A new USGS topographic map series Filter Total Items: Fishburn, Kristin A. Attribution: National Geospatial Program. View Citation.
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