Geography
Draw and compare the following contour diagrams by placing them side by side in pairs:
(a) V-shaped Valley and U-shaped valley
(b) Steep Slope and Gentle Slope
(c) Conical hill and mountain
(d) Ridge and Water Divide
Answer
(a) V-shaped Valley and U-shaped Valley
| V-shaped Valley | U-shaped Valley |
|---|---|
| It is formed in the upper course of a river, where the two sides of the valley are very close and steep with hardly any flat land between them. | It is a broad, flat-floored valley formed in the middle course of a river, or by the action of glaciers. |
| The contour lines are drawn in an inverted V-shape, their values decreasing inward. | The contour lines are broad and rounded (U-shaped), their values decreasing inward. |
(b) Steep Slope and Gentle Slope
| Steep Slope | Gentle Slope |
|---|---|
| When the land suddenly slopes up or down, it is known as a steep slope. | In a gentle slope the change of elevation is gradual (normally about a 1:25 gradient). |
| The contours are drawn close to one another. | The contours are placed wide apart. |
(c) Conical Hill and Mountain
| Conical Hill | Mountain |
|---|---|
| A conical hill is like a cone with a broad base and its slope is almost the same on all sides. | A mountain is higher in elevation than a conical hill. |
| The contours are almost circular with the peak of the hill as their centre, drawn almost at regular distances, the value of which increases towards the centre. | It is represented by a larger number of contour lines than a conical hill, showing its greater height. |
(d) Ridge and Water Divide
| Ridge | Water Divide |
|---|---|
| It is a long and narrow highland sloping steeply downwards on its sides. | It is a line which separates two adjacent drainage basins. |
| The contours showing a ridge are elongated and closely spaced. | It resembles a ridge; on the side where the slope is steeper the contours are drawn closely together, whereas on the side where the slope is gentle the contours are drawn far apart. |
Related Questions
How do the contour lines show the direction of the flow of rivers and streams?
Given below are some symbols and conventional signs, name each one:
Complete the following by drawing the conventional sign/symbol in the blank boxes:
Draw conventional symbols for the following using appropriate colours where necessary.
(i) Cart-track
(ii) Broken ground
(iii) Nala
(iv) Perennial tank
(v) Stream
(vi) Dry-stream