{"id":64,"date":"2019-06-21T13:54:58","date_gmt":"2019-06-21T20:54:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/topo\/?page_id=64"},"modified":"2020-05-21T17:23:53","modified_gmt":"2020-05-22T00:23:53","slug":"basic-landforms","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/topo\/tools-knowledge\/fundamentals\/basic-landforms\/","title":{"rendered":"Basic Landforms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Basic Landforms<\/h1>\n

Recognizing Basic Landform<\/a><\/h3>

Topographic plans can be read for their \"contour signatures\" that describe distinct landforms.\u00a0 The animation below shows four common contour signatures that provide an understanding of the basic topographic relationships within a site.<\/p>\n

To recognize contour signatures, first identify which way is 'up' (contour labels always go on the uphill side of a contour line and key spot elevations will give you clues). Where contour lines form closed shapes around a high point (\"HP\") they are indicating <\/span>plateaus\u00a0<\/strong>or\u00a0hill-tops<\/strong>. Where contour lines form closed shapes around a low point (\"LP\"), they are indicating\u00a0depressions<\/strong>. Where contour lines pinch together to form \"U\" or \"V\" shapes, they indicate ridgelines <\/strong>if the uphill side is inside of the pinched shape; otherwise, they indicate\u00a0valleys<\/strong> if the uphill side is outside of the pinched shape.<\/span><\/p>\n