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.

Test your knowledge of terrain features with these flashcards. Learn important terms like hills, ridges, and valleys along with their definitions and characteristics. Perfect for geography students or anyone interested in understanding the land formation.