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Notes On Map Reading

1. The document provides guidance on various map reading skills including determining grid references, measuring direction, bearing, gradient, and describing landforms and drainage patterns. 2. It explains how to determine four-figure and six-figure grid references, measure direction and bearing between points, and calculate gradient between two locations. 3. Additional topics covered include describing relief features, landforms, drainage patterns, and providing examples of questions regarding transportation, agriculture, and development sites.

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Syed Ashar
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287 views9 pages

Notes On Map Reading

1. The document provides guidance on various map reading skills including determining grid references, measuring direction, bearing, gradient, and describing landforms and drainage patterns. 2. It explains how to determine four-figure and six-figure grid references, measure direction and bearing between points, and calculate gradient between two locations. 3. Additional topics covered include describing relief features, landforms, drainage patterns, and providing examples of questions regarding transportation, agriculture, and development sites.

Uploaded by

Syed Ashar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Notes on Map Reading

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 | Posted by Economics Corner

Grid reference

1. Always remember to read from the bottom left corner.

2. If the question ask for the four-figure grid reference or grid square
of a particular building, e.g. the Hindu temple shown in Fig 1. Read
the number for the easting first (from the X axis) and then the
northings (from the Y axis). E.g example in Fig.1 is located in 2672

3. If the question ask for the six-figure grid reference or grid square of
a particular building, e.g. the Hindu temple shown in Fig 2. Start by
finding the grid square with the feature, then divide the grid square
into 10 equal parts along both the northings and eastings. Place a
ruler onto the bottom left corner of the feature, e.g. the Hindu temple
is located at 266727. Read the number for the easting first (from the
X axis) and then the northings (from the Y axis).

Direction
•
• To measure the direction of one point to another, draw a straight
line connecting them.
• Read the question carefully– if the question ask you the direction of
B from A, then draw a + sign at A and read the direction from
A.

Bearing

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Draw a straight line connecting the 2 points.
•
•
• Draw a + sign at where you are taking the bearing from.
• Place the protractor at the + sign with 0° facing north and then read
the bearings from the point starting from 0° (north) clockwise as
shown in Fig.4.
Height


The height of a place above sea level can also be indicated by the
contour lines.
Contours are imaginary lines connecting areas of the
same height above sea level on a map.
The contour lines can be
used to show the relief of a place such as whether the slope is gentle
or steep. The spacing of the contours indicate the steepness of a
slope – the closer the contours the steeper the slope and vice
versa.

a) valley – associated with rivers, tend to be V-shaped and
narrow in the upper course, broader in the lower course
b) plateau –
elevated land with flat top and steep sides
c) escarpment –
continuous line of steep slope at the edge of a ridge or
plateau.

Guide to describing relief
Give the average height ( or
the range of height) of the relief of the area and state the height of the
highest point.
Describe the relief of the area:
(a) state whether it is mountainous
or hilly or whether it is part of a plateau. Point out and describe any
relief feature that stands out in the area and state its location on the
map.
(b) Describe the slopes in the area. States whether they are
concave. Convex, uniform, steep or gently sloping.

Example of how you can describe relief:
The height of the area
ranges from below 10 metres near to the coast to 548 metres in grid
square 8483.
The main relief feature is T Mountain which is in the
western part of the area. As the mountain extends to the south-east,
it becomes narrower and its height decreases. This part of the
mountain has two peaks of heights about 240 metres in grid square
8582 and about 110 metres in grid square 8682. This part of the
mountain also has two spurs from grid square 8583 to 8683
extending from south-west to north-east.
The contours of T
Mountain are very close together in the area west of easting 85. This
indicates that the slopes are steep. The spacing of the contours on
the eastern side of the mountain is wider. The slopes here are
therefore less steep.

Steps taken to measure gradient
Identify the two points which the


measurement is taken from and the height above sea level for the
two points. You can either refer to the spot heights, the bench marks
or the contour lines.
Calculate the height difference (vertical
distance) of the two points.
Convert the height to the same unit of
measurement as for horizontal distance if necessary e.g. 3.048 feet =
1metre
Measure the distance of the 2 points on the map. Convert to
actual distance by referring to the line scale or using the map scale
ie. 1: 50,000 means 1 cm on the map represents 500m in actual
distance.
Gradient is expressed in ratio form – vertical distance:
horizontal distance ie. 1: 30 - which means for every 1 metre increase
in vertical distance, there is an increase of 30 metres in horizontal
distance.

River Studies

Describing River
a) drainage pattern
ie – dendritic, trellis or radial
b) area drained – many tributaries
joining the main river etc
c) direction of flow- the river flows from a
higher ground to lower ground or towards the sea.
d) Course of river
– ie. Straight or meandering, braiding, width
e) Presence of river
features e.g rapids, waterfall

Drainage pattern
The drainage
pattern of river is determined by the relief and the geological features
of the land over which the river flows.

Drainage density


Refers to the number of streams on the land surface. The greater


the number, the higher the density. Drainage density is highest in
areas with impermeable rock of fine texture and heavy rainfall.
River valley
Wide valley floor as indicated by the widely spaced
contour lines which increases in value away from both banks of the
river.
V-shaped valley with steep slopes – indicated by closely
packed contour lines which increases in value away from both banks
of the river,
Flat valley floor as indicated by the absence of contour
lines immediate to both banks of the river.

Evidence of water supply
Reservoir
Pump house
Pipeline
Settlement Pattern

a) Dispersed – houses far apart – areas with low economic


development e.g. normadic herding, smallholdings
b) Linear –
arranged in a line, usually along a mode of transport ( rail, road) or
waterway (river, coast) to take advantage of the accessibility and
resources.
c) Nucleated – concentration of buildings or houses –
usually at road junctions or centers of economic activities ( e.g.
community or village with facilities like school and shops)

Choice
of site for the location of airport, plantation, settlement
etc.
Availability of large area of flat land, ability to expand, very
accessible e.g. near to rail or roads, availability of services or
resources – remember to look closely at the map symbols on the map
and refer to the legend of the map.

E.g. of question on
Geography of food
Describe the type of food production in the map
area and explain the importance of the roads to it.
The main food
production is the growing of sugar-cane to be made into sugar as
shown by the presence of large area under sugar plantation and the
presence of sugar mill. The roads are important for the transportation
of sugar-cane other settlements for refining or for sale. It also allows
workers to be transported from their homes to the plantations and
back.

E.g of question on development:
A new agricultural
training centre is to be set up at either X or Y. Which site do you
support and why?
An agricultural training centre is likely to provide
training for farmers, both locally and within the country, as well as be
engaged in research and development.
Y is the better site
because:
• it is surrounded by agricultural areas — permanent
cultivation (all around except to the south and southwest), a chicken
farm (to the northwest), some coconut plantations (to the southwest)
— these farmers are likely to be keen to undergo training.
• it is a
growing town with a larger population compared to X, so it should not
be difficult to get students for training.
• It is accessible by road to X
and other parts of the country e.g. Z — major road, secondary
roads.
• The town has all the necessary services and facilities to
support its set up — bank (capital investment), telecommunications
(links to other parts of the country), medical facilities and other
services (supporting services).
• There is available land on the
outskirts of the town for the centre but not to the east of the town,
where there are swamps and the river and streams may overflow and
flood the area.



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