Earth System
Topo Maps
Interpreting Maps
Map Types
Wild Card
100
The part of the Earth system that includes rivers, lakes and oceans.
What is the hydrosphere?
100
The difference between high and low points.
What is relief?
100
The latitude line at 0 degrees north/south that circles the entire globe.
What is equator?
100
The type of map that is based on the shape of a cone, which is most accurate for the United States since we are at the middle latitudes.
What is a conic projection?
100
The most accurate way to represent the Earth's surface with the least distortion.
What is a globe?
200
The part of the Earth system that includes plants and animals.
What is the biosphere?
200
How high above sea level a place is.
What is elevation?
200
Relates distances on a map to actual distances on Earth's surface.
What is a map scale?
200
The 3 main land features shown on a relief map.
What are mountains, plateaus, and plains?
200
The symbol on a map that shows North, South, East, and West.
What is a compass rose?
300
The part of the Earth system that includes the oxygen you breathe in and carbon dioxide you breathe out.
What is the atmosphere?
300
How steep an area is, which is shown by the closeness of elevation lines.
What is slope?
300
A chart of symbols and their meanings.
What is a map legend or key?
300
A way of representing Earth's curved surface on a flat map, which causes distortions.
What is a projection?
300
The layer of the geosphere that includes the continents and ocean floor.
What is the crust?
400
The type of system the Earth is since matter cannot enter or leave.
What is a closed system?
400
The shape, or features, of the land.
What is topography?
400
Imaginary lines that measure the distance east and west of the prime meridian.
What is longitude?
400
The type of map that is most accurate for the North Pole, since you can set it as the center point.
What is a planar projection?
400
The two Earth systems that interact when rain causes erosion or rivers carve formations like the Grand Canyon.
What is the hydrosphere and geosphere?
500
The part of the Earth system that includes the core, mantle, and crust.
What is the geosphere?
500
The wiggly lines on a topo map that represent distances in elevation.
What are contour lines?
500
The difference in elevation between lines on a topographic map.
What is contour interval?
500
Two names for the type of map that shows the lines of longitude and latitude as straight lines, therefore exaggerating landmasses near the poles.
What is Cylindrical or Mercator Projection?
500
The network of satellites that are used to find latitude, longitude, and elevation. (no abbreviations)
What is Global Positioning System (GPS)?
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