A topographic profile or topographic cut or elevation profile is a representation of the relief of the terrain that is obtained by cutting transversely the lines of a topographic map. Each contour line can be defined as a closed line joining relief points at equal height above sea level.[1] It is usually drawn on the same horizontal scale as the map, but the use of an exaggerated vertical scale is advisable to underline the elements of the relief. This can vary according to the slope and amplitude of the terrestrial relief, but is usually three to five times the horizontal scale.
A series of parallel profiles, taken at regular intervals on a map, can be combined to provide a more complete three-dimensional view of the area that appears on the topographic map. It is evident that, thanks to computer science, more sophisticated three-dimensional models of the landscape can be made from digital terrain data.
The line of the plane defined by the points that limit the profile is called the guideline and the horizontal line of comparison on which the profile is constructed is called base.[2]
- ^ "ESTUDIO DEL MAPA TOPOGRÁFICO" (in Spanish). Madrid: Instituto de Enseñanza Secundaria Morato García. Archived from the original on June 26, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Linares, Kriss (12 May 2010). "Perfil Topográfico" (in Spanish). Monografias.com. Retrieved March 2, 2017.