Free Nautical Charts

How do you interpret a topographic map?

Could anyone please tell me how to interpret one? It's confusing me each time i read the instructions.

Public Comments

1. In mathematical terms a topographical map tells you the gradient of the land. What this means is a topographical map tells you the height of the land based off of a perspective point. Say for instant you have a topographical map that has a circle at the center of the map (the center is labeled 1). As you move away from the center you hit another circle that is labeled 2. This means the height at label 2 is twice the height at label 1. Likewise any line you hit will have a height corrosponding with basis height.
2. The way of interpreting the topographic map really depends on what type of question you're looking at. For example they might ask you for gradient, horizontal distance and etc.