11. Contour Maps and Landforms
Complete textbook exercise solutions, map observations, and in-text activities. Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati).
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In-Text Questions & Activities
Which landforms do you observe in the model (Fig 11.1 a)?
We can observe mountains/hill ranges, valleys, and flat plains.
Which colours have been used on them?
Blue is used for rivers, yellow and brown for higher altitudes (hills/mountains), and green/light blue for lower slopes and flat plains.
What is the general direction of the ranges shown in the map (Fig 11.1 b)?
The hill ranges generally extend in the North-West to South-East direction.
Towards which direction is the flat land located in the map?
The flat land (gentle slope with widely spaced contour lines) is located towards the West and South-West direction.
What are the maximum and minimum values of the lines in the map?
The maximum value is 800 and the minimum value is 600.
What do these values indicate?
These values indicate the altitude or height of the land in metres above mean sea level.
In which direction does fort Purandar lie?
Fort Purandar lies in the South direction of the map.
What is the direction of flow of the river Karha?
The river Karha flows from the West to the East.
In which parts are the hill ranges not observed?
Hill ranges are not observed in the central part of the map, along the Karha river basin where the land is flat.
Which part of the map is not seen in the model? Why?
The southernmost edge containing the Katraj-Diveghat range and the northernmost Mula-Mutha Basin visible in the 3D model are partially cut off from the 2D contour map snippet.
In which direction does the altitude of Katraj-Diveghat range decrease?
The altitude of the Katraj-Diveghat range decreases towards the East.
In which direction are higher hill ranges located?
The higher hill ranges are located towards the North (Katraj-Diveghat range) and the South (Purandar range).
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Exercises
(1) How can the distribution of the height and landforms in a region be shown?
The distribution of height and landforms in a region can be shown using contour lines on a contour map or by creating 3D models.
(2) To whom are the contour maps useful?
Contour maps are of immense use to mountaineers, trekkers, soldiers, defense officers, and planners for regional development.
(3) What do you understand by observing contour lines?
By observing contour lines, we can understand various facets of landforms such as altitude, relief, steepness of the slope, direction of the slope, and the natural drainage pattern of the area.
(4) How will a contour map be useful for a farmer?
A contour map helps a farmer understand the slope and elevation of the land. This information is highly useful for planning irrigation, deciding where to build farm bunds, constructing continuous contour trenches (CCTs), and preventing soil erosion on sloped farmlands.
- (1) If the contour lines are closer to each other, the slope is steep.
- (2) The contour lines on the map represent places of equal height (altitude).
- (3) The slope can be understood from the distance between the contour lines.
- (4) If the distance between two contour lines is more, the slope is gentle.
By observing the provided contour map (with contours ranging from 100m to 370m), we can identify the following landforms:
- River Valley: A river is flowing through the central part of the map where the elevation is lowest (around 100m).
- Plateau / Broad Hill: The left side of the map shows a broad, relatively flat elevated area bounded by steep slopes (contour lines close together).
- Hill with Twin Peaks: The right side of the map shows an elevated area with two distinct peaks (indicated by the innermost closed contour circles marked 320m and 370m).