Terrain Features Flashcards

Major Terrain Features

• Hill: Elevated area shown on maps with contour lines that create concentric circles.
• Ridge: Continuous series of hills creating a sloping line of high ground.
• Valley: Low area formed by streams/rivers, surrounded by high ground on three sides, typically contains running water.
• Saddle: Dip between two higher areas, characterized by high ground in opposite directions and lower ground in the other two, visually represented as an hourglass.
• Depression: Low-lying area or sinkhole, surrounded by higher ground, can be simply described as a hole in the ground.

Minor Terrain Features

• Spur: Short line of elevated ground that protrudes from the side of a ridge.
• Draw: Less developed stream course found between two spurs, representing a transitional terrain.
• Cliff: Steep, vertical land feature where contour lines converge sharply, indicating a significant land elevation change.

Supplemental Terrain Features

• Cut: Man-made feature created from cutting through elevated ground, often for roads or railroads, represented on maps if at least 10 feet high.
• Fill: Man-made feature formed by filling low areas to establish roads or railroads, also shown on maps when at least 10 feet high.

Map Indicators

• Black Lines: Symbols for cultural features like buildings and roads, and surveyed elevations.
• Red-Brown Lines: Denote various cultural and relief features, as well as non-surveyed spot elevations.
• Blue Lines: Represent water features, including lakes, swamps, rivers, and drainage areas.
• Green Lines: Indicate vegetation important in military contexts, such as woods and orchards.
• Brown Lines: Show cultivated lands on specific maps, older maps denote relief features.
• Red Lines: Found on older maps to classify cultural features like populated areas and main roads.

Summary of Terrain Features

• 5 Major Terrain Features: Hill, Valley, Ridge, Saddle, Depression.
• 3 Minor Terrain Features: Spur, Draw, Cliff.
• 2 Supplemental Terrain Features: Cut, Fill.