what is topography
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Answer:
Topography is the study of the land surface. In particular, it lays the underlying foundation of a landscape. For example, topography refers to mountains, valleys, rivers or craters on the surface.
The origin of topography comes from “topo” for “place” and “graphia” for “writing”. It’s closely related to geodesy and surveying which are concerned with accurately measuring the land surface. And it’s also closely tied to geography and mapping systems like GIS.
Elevation is the distinguishing factor for topographic maps. In GIS, we use digital elevation models for terrain. Nine out of ten topographic maps show contour lines, which are just lines of equal elevation. The narrow definition of topography is specific to the arrangement of landforms.
But in a broader sense, it incorporates natural and artificial features. For example, topographic maps often tie in administrative boundaries, cities, hydrography, parks, landmarks, transportation and buildings.