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Geo Mapwork Notes 2019
Geo Mapwork Notes 2019
Geo Mapwork Notes 2019
Conventional signs
⮚ These are the signs or symbols to represent features on a map and their
meaning is given on the key
⮚ Shape, size and colour are used to identify each symbol used
⮚ Can be divided into 6 groups
(i) Boundaries – broken red line
(ii) Land routes – thin parallel black lines, space between coloured in red.
(iii) Water features – shown in blue
(iv) Vegetation – shown in green. To distinguish one type from another
different shapes or trees, bushes etc are used
(v) Buildings – shown in different ways eg villages and hut – two signs, a
dot and a pictogram
(vi) Other features
Direction
⮚ When talking about direction, four useful terms come to mind, these are to
the north of, the south of, the east of or the west of
(b) Bearing
⮚ Is the angular direction of an object from the observer measured in degrees
starting from the north in a clockwise direction.
⮚ It is the direction an object lies from the observer’s position
Procedure
⮚ Draw a N-S line and an E-W line through the point from which you will
observe i.e. the observer’s position.
⮚ Draw a line from the observer’s position to the object observed
⮚ Place your protractor so that the zero (0) is placed on the north line and 1800
on the south line. Place the centre of the protractor on the observer’s
position.
⮚ Measure the angle made by the north-south line and the line joining the
observer to the point asked for. Read the bearing in a clockwise direction.
NB If the angle you are measuring is more than 1800 , first place your protractor
along the N-S line with the zero (0) at the south. Measure the angle and add its
value to 1800.
Measuring distance
NB (i) Always start measuring from zero and not from the 1 to the right of
the zero.
(iii) All whole numbers are measured to the right side from zero
(iv) All fractions are measured to the left side from zero
(v) The final answer is the total from the whole numbers plus that of the
fractions
Gradient
⮚ Is the steepness of a slope and may be expressed either as an angle
measured in degrees from the horizontal or as a proportion eg 1 in 10 i.e. for
every 10 metres travelled horizontally there is a vertical rise in ground level of
1 metre.
⮚ To calculate gradient between any two points, it is necessary to know;
(i) The altitude or height of each point
(ii) The distance between the two points.
Procedure
⮚ Find the difference in height between the two points
⮚ Measure and then convert the distance between the two points from
kms to metres
⮚ Divide the difference in height of the two points by their distance apart
(horizontal equivalent) ie Gradient = DH/HE
⮚ NB Both the DH and the HE should be brought to the same unit of
length. The numerator must be 1
DRAINAGE ON A MAP
- Refers to the major rivers and their tributaries ( always shown by the
blue colour ) on the map.
- Refer to the following issues
(i) The major river , its name and its direction of flow eg the river
flows from the north to the south following the natural dip of the
area
(ii) Tributaries
(iii) Nature of the river eg straight channels, has waterfalls,has rapids,
is meandering channels, has braids, has sharp bends or angular
bends
(iv) Check on the density ie low or high density and justification of why
its like that
(v) Refer also to drainage patterns (refer to rivers notes) but note
these :
a) Dentritic – streams join the main river at an acute
angle.Common in areas with homogenous rock (equal rock)
resistance .also found in lowlying (plains/pedeplains) areas.
b) Trellis – streams join the main river at almost right
angles.occurs where there is alternating hard and soft rock
(heterogeneous rock)
c) Radial – streams flow from the upland to the lowland. Due to
domical structure eg hills, plateaus.
Drainage Patterns
(vi) Confluence
RELIEF
Slopes
⮚ A slope is the geographical term for the shape of the land as it ascends from
low to high ground.
Types of
(ii) Concave
⮚ Contours are widely spaced at the lower levels and close at the top
⮚ Is a slope that curves in
(iii) Convex
⮚ At the lower altitude the slope is steep and levels off on high ground.
⮚ It “bulges out”
(iv) Steep
⮚ Contours are close together
(v) Gentle
⮚ Contours are far apart
NB
⮚ Always check the altitude of the contour lines on a map to find which is lower
and which is higher.
⮚ The narrower the contour line, the steeper the slope
⮚ On 1:50 000 maps, contour lines represent rises of 20 m in the landscape
⮚ There is nothing on the ground to mark them, they represent relief
(i) Spot heights – are marked on maps along some roads and on the tops of
some hills. They are not seen on the ground.
(ii) Trigonometrical beacons – are marked on maps and on the ground. They
are painted black and white and can be seen on top of prominent hills or
kopjes
(iii) Bench marks – are common along main roads and are shown on the
ground by concrete blocks with a sign and precise height.
Landforms
(i) hill
⮚ Contours form a more or less circular pattern
⮚ Its height varies from a few metres to 600m .its still acceptable to say even
when contours reach a height of 1000m its still a hill.
(ii) A valley
⮚ Contours form a V or U shape that bends backwards towards highland
⮚ It forms a dip between two spurs
⮚ Is a strip of lower land bordered by higher land.
(iii) A spur
⮚ Contours are in a V or U shape that point away from highland
⮚ It is a piece of highland that protrudes (like a finger) into lowland’
(iv) A gorge
⮚ Contours are very close together (almost touching, hence the slope is steep)
⮚ A very narrow, deep valley with steep sides
(v) A cliff
⮚ Contours are very close together and appear to be on top of each other.
⮚ An almost vertical fall in the land.
(vi) A ridge
⮚ Contour lines are long,narrow and elongated.
⮚ A long and narrow stretch of upland with little level land along their summits.
⮚ Its sides are steep
⮚
(vii) A plateau
⮚ A broad area of elevated land
⮚ A wide elevated area with more or less flat surface.
(viii) An escarpment
⮚ Is a ridge which has a gentle slope on one side, and a steep slope on the
other
(ix) A round topped hill
⮚ Contours are similar to those of a conical hill but the higher contours are
widely spaced indicating leveling off.
(x) A gap
⮚ Is a break in the level of the land feature and is caused by erosion of the
topmost soils or rock formation
(xi) A dissected plateau
⮚ A plateau cut up by valleys
⮚ One deeply cut up by streams
CROSS SECTION
⮚ Used to show variations of relief from a side view
⮚ It show major changes in elevation between two points which may be along a
given northing.
⮚ It is a bird’s eye view of features along any given two points.
Steps
(ii) A spur
(iii) A gorge
⮚ Contours are very close together (almost touching, hence the slope
is steep)
e patterns
⮚ Is the layout or plan made by rivers and their tributaries on the landscape
⮚ They can be differentiated according to their relationship with:
(i) The slope of the land
(ii) Differences in rock hardness
(iii) Rock structure/geological structure
(iv) Nature of the catchment area
Radial
Centripetal
⮚ Occurs where streams drain into a pan or a small lake or a depression from
surrounding highlands
⮚ Common where the area has been downwarped
Trellis
⮚ A rectilinear pattern in the shape of a lattice with the chief tributaries joining
the main stream approximately at right angles. Minor tributaries also join the
chief tributaries at right angles and flow more or less parallel to the main
stream
⮚ The main stream cuts across/through folded uplands while tributaries follow
lines of weakness or downfolds.
Rectangular