What does contour interval describe on a topographic map?

What does contour interval describe on a topographic map?

• A. The elevation and depressions of the earth's surface
• B. The vertical distance between adjacent contour lines on the map
• C. The scale of the map
• D. The orientation of the grid lines

Answer: (B)

Contour interval is the vertical distance between adjacent contour lines on a topographic map. Contour lines connect points that are the same elevation, so the interval tells you how much elevation changes from one line to the next. This fixed value, usually shown in the map legend, lets you read elevation differences across the terrain and judge slope: lines that are close together indicate steep terrain, while lines spaced far apart indicate gentler slopes. It’s about elevation change, not map scale or grid-line orientation.

Contour interval is the vertical distance between adjacent contour lines on a topographic map. Contour lines connect points that are the same elevation, so the interval tells you how much elevation changes from one line to the next. This fixed value, usually shown in the map legend, lets you read elevation differences across the terrain and judge slope: lines that are close together indicate steep terrain, while lines spaced far apart indicate gentler slopes. It’s about elevation change, not map scale or grid-line orientation.