Mapping Mt.Capulin

Questions: How is a topographic map similar to a physical map? How is it different? It what situations would it be appropriate to use each?

Materials:plastic model of Mt.Capulin, plastic shoe box with lid, water, food coloring (optional), washable pen, beaker

Procedure:

  1. To begin mapping, place the plastic model into the clear plastic shoe box.
  2. Using the metric ruler, place marks on the outside of the shoe box one centimeter apart from the bottom to the top of the box (8). These marks will represent the elevations.
  3. Carefully fill the plastic box with water up to the 1 cm mark. Use the beaker for this.
  4. Put the lid on the box.
  1. Using the washable pen, carefully draw on the lid of the box where you can see the water make contact with the model of the volcano.
  2. Remove the lid and add water to the plastic box up to the 2 cm mark. Put the lid back on the box.
  3. Again look through the lid to see where the water makes contact with the model of the volcano and carefully draw around the contact line.
  4. Repeat this procedure until the lines have been drawn at each water level and the volcano is completely submerged.

Data:

  1. Carefully transfer your topographic map to your composition book, by tracing the original map.
  2. Write a title for your map.
  3. Calculate elevations for each contour line, adding these elevations to the topographic map.
  4. 1 cm = 250 ft.
  5. Altitude at the bottom of the box (the base of the volcano) is 6280 feet.
  6. Using the above scale, compute the altitude of each successive contour line.

0 cm = 6280 ft

1 cm= 6280 ft + 250 ft = 6530 ft

2 cm = 6530 ft + 250 ft =______ft

3 cm= ______

4 cm= ______

5 cm= ______

6 cm= ______

7 cm= ______

8 cm= ______

1. Describe the general shape of the contour lines when you are mapping a hill or a mountain. Use specific examples from your topographic map in your answer. ______

  1. What is the relationship between the closeness of the lines and the steepness of the slope? Use specific examples from your topographic map in your answer. ______
  2. How would a steep valley down the side of the volcano change the contour pattern? (Remember the “Rule of V’s” – The V shape always points upstream or toward high ground.) ______
  3. Would it be possible to distinguish a basin (an area of land that is lower at the center than it is at the edges) or a depression (an area that is lower than its surroundings) from a mountain on a topographic map? How would you show this? ______