Map work techniques

2015 A LEVELS

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Map work
Introduction

The interpretation and analysis of topographical maps is an integral component of

the advanced level Geography Syllabus. The paper seeks to give the student the
requisite techniques and expertise for effective map interpretation and analysis.

Drawing a sketch map.

A sketch map is a simplified representation of the main relief and drainage features
on a topographical map. The word sketch simply means that the map is not drawn
to scale. the following is to be noted:

 Neatness and lucidity

 Focus on the physical features such as valleys, uplands, lowlands, mountains,

hills, rivers, drainage patterns and so on.

 Relevant annotation within the sketch map or the use of an appropriate key.

Procedures in drawing a sketch map.

 Identify the area to be drawn. The area can be the whole map extract given
or section or sections of map. NB. You can divide the map into four parts for
purpose of guidance.

 Draw a rectangle or square which is proportional to the shape of the area to

be drawn and insert the numbers for the border grid limits to mark your
frame.

 Divide your answer sheet ( square or rectangle) into four parts in very light
pencil as you did to your map, and these should be erased at the end. The

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 purpose of these lines is to assist you in the correct positioning of the relief
and drainage features.

 Write a title at the top of your answer sheet. The title is derived from the
question. For example: An sketch map of Rusape showing the main
drainage and relief features of the area. This is important because it
spells out the contents of your map.

 First draw in the main/major river systems (in blue ink or blue colour) and
tributaries. Indicate the direction of flow of the main rivers using arrows. The
direction of flow can be determined by the use of contour heights or spot
heights to identify the upland and lowland since a river will always flow from
a upland to a lowland. Names of the rivers should be labelled on your sketch
map. The shape of the river drawings must be correct as they appear on the
map.

 Waterfall, rapids, marshes, meanders, angular bends and sharp bends of the
river must be shown. Braiding, oxbow lakes.

 Draw the relief features outlines in pencil or brown colour and shade nicely
when satisfied. To outline the relief feature you take the shape of the outside
contour line that marks the shape of the relief feature. In other words the
shape of the outline should resemble the shape of the actual landform on the
map.

 Label the relief features within your sketch map or use symbols or shading
which can then be explained on the key. The annotation can be done for,
uplands are supposed to be shaded, lowland or plateaus, ridges, isolated
hills, residual hills escarpments fault scarps, floodplains, conical hills dissected
plateaus, smooth rocks and so on.

 Identify, outline and label at least three drainage patterns in the area.

 Insert your key.

How to identify relief and drainage on the map and description

LANDFORM/RELIEF DESCRIPTION

Plateau  Level at the top

 1200m and 13000m above the

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 ground

 Cut by stream

 A high extensive upland with

steep sides
Dissected plateau

Ridge  Narrow stretch of high ground.

 Steep and narrow elongated

top

 Steep sided.

 Can be knife topped, flat

topped or round topped.

 Formed due to tensional forces

or parallel retreat/scarp retreat
by rivers due to headward
erosion

 With some domical rises

Inselbergs: Dwala  Low lying

 Less steep

Bornhardts  Huge

 Seep sided

 Round and smooth at the top

 Formed due to solidification of

magma underground and
exposed by erosional forces

Col /saddle  Depression between two peaks

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 Mountain ranges/fold mountains  Range of mountains

 Formed- areas has experiences

folding due to compression
forces.

Conical hill  Similar slopes on all sides

Gentle sloping area  Contours are spaced

Steep slope  Contours are packed closely

together

Rolling topography  Two or more levels are

obscured

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 Valleys  V – shaped valley

 Broad, flat floored

 Steep sided

Gorge  Narrow deep sided valley

 Streams pass through a tightly

packed contours.

Dentritic drainage  Like a tree branch

 Common in homogenous rocks

 It also indicates gently dipping

uniform rock

Radial  This occurs where streams

radiate from an upland like the
spokes of a wheel.

 Rivers will be flowing from

uplands or domical features.

Centripetal  Rivers or streams flow or

converge in a low land such as
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 a volcanic crater, caldera, lakes
or pans.

Parallel  Rivers flow downhill parallel to

each other.

 Occurs on newly uplifted land

or uniformly slopping surface
which are underlain by uniform
rocks.

Trellised  Streams are parallel to the

main river and long and join it
at right angles. It shows that
the area has both resistant and
less resistant rock (alternating
layers of hard and soft rocks).

Rectangular  Show some resemblance to

trellis

 Tributaries join the main

streams at right angle

 The streams have right angled

beds/ angular bend.

 Probably the area has joints

and fractures in massive rocks

 The rivers flow along the

bends created by faults.

Annular/circular  Shown by the existence of

streams which follow nearly
circular or concentric paths
along belts of weak rock that
ring a dissected dome or basin.

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 discordant  Drainage streams cut across
general lines of the
structure/uplands

Describing relief on a map

(always use compass points or cardinal points and grid reference and six grid
reference for example locating waterfalls and rapid)

 Lightly dissected

 Heavily dissected

 Broad, flat shaped valleys

 V-shaped or steep sided valleys

 Gorge section

 Steep pr gentle slopping area

 In the case of swamps, marshes and meandering streams this can be

described as gentle gradient

 Rolling topography

 Hill summits can be describes as remnants or residuals of former surface

 Hills that occur in a line can be described as lineated hills.

 Dwala- low lying, less steep

 General length e.g Nyadire range stretches for more than 10km

 Ridges are either flat topped, knife topped or round topped, horse shoe

 Trends of relief eg uplands stretches from west to east

 Escarpments facing to the west/east

 To the South of Nyadire the land rises more gradually

 To the south of Nyadire there is a wide valley at an altitude of over 1100mm

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  Mountains have scarp slopes and narrow valleys

 Escarpments are deeply dissected

 Low lying areas in part of the SW, ne generally below 1000m

 Uplands above 1100m

 Lowland/plains below 1000m

 Waterless or dry feature

Describe the drainage

 Observe the main drainage patterns e.g there is radial, rectangular, trellis,
centripetal, dendritic drainage pattern, subparallel, discordant eg to the west
or east, south east etc. or in grid square 4899

 High drainage density to the far east

 Low drainage density to the far south

 Disappearing streams e.g Rusape

 Direction of flow eg flowing from north to the south east following a dip/
gentle slope

 River is narrow and meandering in grid square 4432

 Wide, shallow and heavily braided eg save rive

 Straight channel from grid square 3241 to 4567

 Rapids and waterfall along the channel/ rapid or waterfall in grid square
234567/ rapids and waterfalls on all major rivers.

 River is discordant to the geological structure because it is cutting across a hiil

or accordant to the geological structure because it is flowing on a gentle land

 Braided channel in grid square 3452

 Marshes and swamps along the river

 Anastomising channel in grid square 3456

 Streams flow from steep mountains

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  Steep sided river valleys

 Wide channel

 Narrow channel

Describe and explain the drainage features

ALWAYS USE SUGGESTIVE LANGUAGE: MAYBE, PERHAPS, PROBABLY, COULD

HAVE.

 High drainage density- impermeable layer, region that receives high rainfall

 Low drainage density- low rainfall area, dry land, porous rock, permeable rock
which cause high infiltration thereby reducing the formation of surface
streams by runoff eg limestone.

 Disappearing channels- presence of porous rocks

 Direction of flow- following a dip slope or gentle slope

 Wide channel/ U-shaped - old stage of the river or a lot of lateral erosion/
planation, rocks are less resistant.

 Wide flat floored valley-due to deposition

 Narrow channel- youthful stage of the river or vertical incision or erosion

 Radial drainage- domical rises eg bornhardts, volcanic cones, streams flowing

from uplands

 Rectangular- river following fault lines

 Trellis – river following fault line, or alternating hard and soft rocks

 Dentritic- gently sloping plain, homogenous rocks/ uniform rocks/ rocks with
the same resistant.

 Centripetal- rivers flowing into lowland areas such as lakes

 Angular bends- due to structural control eg alternate resistant and weak rocks

 Braided channel- old stage of the river when the river widens the wetted
perimeter increases and therefore deposition, or vegetation along the river, or
a rock outcrop along the river.

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  Straight channel- fault lines/ fault guided channel, youthful stage of a river,
resistant rocks along the channel therefore the river can not easily erode and
remains straight and narrow

 Marshes- impeded drainage(prevented from flowing), flooding and deposition

caused growth of plants along the river.

 Meandering- areas of hard and soft rocks and river will be negotiating for
places to flow, river approaching maturity stage

 Anastomising (contour lines within a channel) obstacle along the channel will
make the river to split and rejoin.

 Rapids and waterfall-faulting, alternating resistance and less resistant rocks.

Discuss the relationship between relief and drainage

Explain the relationship between relief and drainage

Describe and suggest reasons for the relationship between relief and
drainage

 Direction of flow- following a dip slope or gentle slope/ or a general tilt of the
land in a certain direction.

 Radial drainage- domical rises eg bornhardts, volcanic cones, streams flowing

from uplands

 Braided channel- reduced gradient or gentle gradient

 Centripetal- rivers flowing into lowland areas such as lakes

 Sub Parallel- due to short steep slopes

 Low drainage density-low gradient.. high infiltration rate

 High drainage density- steep gradient..low infiltration rate

Discuss the relationship between geology and drainage

Explain the relationship between geology and drainage

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Describe and suggest reasons for the relationship between geology and
drainage

 High drainage density- impermeable layer.

 Low drainage density-, dry land, porous rock, permeable rock which cause
high infiltration thereby reducing the formation of surface streams by runoff
eg limestone.

 Disappearing channels- presence of porous rocks

 Direction of flow- following a dip slope or gentle slope/ or a general tilt of the
land in a certain direction.

 Wide channel/ U-shaped - lateral erosion/ planation because rocks are less
resistant.

 Narrow channel- resistant rocks along the channel therefore the river can not
easily erode and remains straight and narrow

 Radial drainage- domical rises eg bornhardts, volcanic cones, streams flowing

from uplands

 Rectangular- river following fault lines

 Trellis – river following fault line, or alternating hard and soft rocks

 Dendritic- homogenous rocks/ uniform rocks/ rocks with the same resistant.

 Angular bends- due to structural control eg alternate resistant and weak rocks

 Braided channel- vegetation along the river, or a rock outcrop along the
river.

 Straight channel- fault lines/ fault guided channel, resistant rocks along the
channel therefore the river can not easily erode and remains straight and
narrow

 Meandering- areas of hard and soft rocks and river will be negotiating for
places to flow,

 Anastomising (contour lines within a channel) obstacle along the channel will
make the river to split and rejoin.

 Rapids and waterfall-faulting, alternating resistance and less resistant rocks.

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  Marshes/ swamps –porous rocks/ flat low lying areas with impeded drainage
probably because of under laid hard rocks or impermeable soils.

 River capture- structural control

 Disappearing streams--- presence of porous rocks

 Narrow valleys- vertical incision by rivers

 Broad valleys lateral erosion by rivers

 Discordant- presence of a gorge due to antecedence/superimposition

Origin and formation of landforms

Explain how landforms along line so and so have been formed

Suggest with reasons the possible origin of the landforms

Suggest possible reasons for the existence of landforms o relief regions

 Steep slopes/steep scarps on ridges and hills could be due to vertical erosion
by the streams.

 Fault scarps/ escarpments- faulting, pediplanation and parallel retreat,

weathering and erosion along faults

 Plains/lowland-pediplanation and peneplanation or landform development

being in its old or late stage.

 Plateaus, ridges and hills- pediplanation, slope

replacement/peneplantion(slope decline). Use also the theory of deep
weathering followed by exhumation. Can also be explained using concept
of intrusive volcanic features which were later exposed to the surface
through pressure release.

 Smooth rocks, conical hills, bornhardts- Can also be explained using

concept of intrusive volcanic features which were later exposed to the
surface through pressure release.

 Mountain ranges- folding due to compression forces eg Chimanimani and

Vumba

 Alternative upland and lowlands- weathering of soft and hard rocks

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  Isolated hills- have been remains of resistant hills and low plains
composed of soft rocks.

NB. PEDIPLANATION-uplift of land, back wearing o slopes/slope retreat resulting

in development of plains

ETCHPLANATION- intrusive volcanoes,,,,uplift,,,,successive episodes of

weathering and stripping of the regolith. Unaffected or resistant area can rise
above plain and become isolated hills or remnants or residual hills.

Comparing landforms and drainage from two sketch maps or

sections.
Suggest possible reasons for the difference in landforms and drainage
between the two areas.

Compare the landforms of the two areas and suggest reasons for their
differences

NB USE WHEREAS, WHILST, UNLIKE

AREA A AREA B

Hilly area, rugged with dissected Gentle area, gentle slopping plains,
uplands, many hills- due to variation in isolated hills, gentle rising upland- due to
rock type weak rock which are susceptible to
erosion or prone to erosion

Greater drainage density due to high Low drainage density- due to low
permeability causing low infiltration gradient, high permeability result in high
creating several surface channels infiltration
gradients, low

Radial drainage- presence of hills which Dendritic- terrain is gentle dipping in

are domical which acts as watershed nature or homogeneous rocks.

Rapid- heterogeneous rocks/rocks with Braiding- low gradient

different resistance

Narrow river- steep gradient/resistant Wider river- due to gentle gradient, soft
rocks, lateral erosion on weak banks or
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rocks which impedes lateral erosion that the river may be in the old stage
where it is nearing base level resulting in
a graded profile

Uplands/high altitude- early maturity of Low extensive plains- late maturity of

landform development, hard rocks landform evolution/development, many
resistant to weathering and erosion uplands have been lowered by
weathering and erosion/ or existence of
weak rocks.

Narrow river- youthful stage of a river Broad river- old stage a lot of braiding
and deposition

Steep gradient/non braided- youthful Braiding may indicate low gradient in the
stage and high erosion and minimal area which reduces stream velocity thus
deposition causing deposition

More landforms- may indicate youthful Few landforms- indicate the late stage of
stage of evolution or the area have evolution or existence of weak rocks.
resistant rocks

Direction of flow

Explain the reasons for differences in landform and drainage

Take note of the following

 Rock type

 Rock permeability

 Stages of landform evolution e.g early or late maturity

 Stages of the river – youthful- narrow-old, broad-braiding-old

Drawing a sketch section/cross section

 This is a simplified horizontal representation of the physical features between

two points on a map. It is meant to show major changes in height along a
section between the two points.

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  Identify the area to be drawn

 Join the two end points of the required section on the map with straight line.

 Obtain a piece of paper with straight edges and place it along the straight line
and mark the heights of the endpoints.

 Mark along the straight edged sheet, the points where major contour lines
intersect the line and mark the heights of these major contour lines. Also
identify the heights of summits and valleys along the section. NB. Do not
waste time in trying to account for each and every contour line along the
section because what is only required is for you to produce the general shape
of the relief along the section.

 In cases where the required section is too long and cannot fit on a normal A4
page you will have to reduce the lengths.

 On a fresh answer sheet, draw a horizontal line and mark the end points.
Draw the vertical lines (uprights) at the end points as shown below.

 Choose a vertical interval considering the highest and lowest points along
your section. For example if the lowest point is 700m and the highest is
1200m an interval of 100m can be used as shown below

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  Place the straight aged paper with the contour heights along the horizontal
line and plot the heights of the major contour lines, summits and valleys

 Join the plotted points using a smooth curve and shade the sketch section

 Label the relief and drainage features along the section such as plains,
lowlands, uplands, summits, steep slopes, gentle slopes, streams and rivers,
plateaus, ridges and hills

 The final sketch would appear as illustrated

A sketch section of Tanganda Halt showing the main relief and

drainage features along Horizontal grid line 83

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