Techniques for Representing Landform Elevation on Maps

Landforms: Easy to show length and width on paper. Difficult to show height and depth. There are different methods of showing the elevation or height of the land:

(1) Contour line method

• This method is used to show the unevenness of landforms on a map. The height of the land is measured from sea level. Next, points of the same height are identified.
• Their position is marked accurately on the map. These locations are joined with a line. Such lines are called contour lines.

Contour line method

(2) Layer tinting method

• This method is based on contour lines. In this method, the spaces between contour lines are filled with colour. Each colour indicates a specific height.
• For example, water bodies are coloured blue, whereas the adjoining land is coloured dark green. Land higher than that is coloured a light green, next higher land is coloured yellow, and so on.

(3) Digital elevation model

• This is the most modern method. In this, the information obtained through man-made satellites is presented with the help of computers. 
• Using computers, we can even find the height of each point on a digital map.
• Physical maps can be used in military operations, tourism, drawing up mountaineering routes, in making regional development plans, etc.