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Terrain (from Latin: terra 'earth'), alternatively relief or topographical relief, is the dimension and shape of a given surface of land. In physical geography, terrain is the lay of the land. This is usually expressed in terms of the elevation, slope, and orientation of terrain features. Terrain affects surface water flow and distribution.
The various features shown on the map are represented by conventional signs or symbols. For example, colors can be used to indicate a classification of roads. These signs are usually explained in the margin of the map, or on a separately published characteristic sheet. [17] Topographic maps are also commonly called contour maps or topo maps.
Hachure representation of relief was standardized by the Austrian topographer Johann Georg Lehmann in 1799. [1] Hachures may be combined with other ways of representing relief, such as shades, the result being a shaded hachure map; an example of such a map is the Dufour Map of Switzerland. [2]
Relief map: Sierra Nevada Mountains, Spain 3D rendering of a DEM used for the topography of Mars The digital elevation model (DEM) is a raster -based digital dataset of the topography ( hypsometry and/or bathymetry ) of all or part of the Earth (or a telluric planet ).
Terrain cartography or relief mapping is the depiction of the shape of the surface of the Earth on a map, using one or more of several techniques that have been developed. Terrain or relief is an essential aspect of physical geography , and as such its portrayal presents a central problem in cartographic design , and more recently geographic ...
Peneplain – Low-relief plain formed by protracted erosion; Plain – Expanse of land that is mostly flat and treeless; Planation surface – Large-scale land surface that is almost flat; Plateau – Highland area, usually of relatively flat terrain; Polje – Type of large plain found in karst regions
Examples are mountains, hills, polar caps, and valleys, which are found on all of the terrestrial planets. The scientific study of landforms is known as geomorphology . In onomastic terminology, toponyms (geographical proper names) of individual landform objects (mountains, hills, valleys, etc.) are called oronyms .
Example of topographic profile. A topographic profile or topographic cut or elevation profile is a representation of the relief of the terrain that is obtained by cutting transversely the lines of a topographic map. Each contour line can be defined as a closed line joining relief points at equal height above sea level. [1]