Geology Lab Topographic maps

Planimetric maps

provide 2D representations of the locations of towns, rivers, roads, and the horizontal distances between them.

Topographic maps

all the information in a planimetric map + additional info about the configuration of the Earth’s surface.

Datum:

a giant, mathematical Earth surface model. Used to simplify Earth’s irregular surface.

Most common projection worldwide:

Transverse Mercator

Coordinate System:

An arbitrary grid that represents locations and distances on a projected map, with specific units of measurement