Topography

Topography is the arrangement of elevations and landforms across a geographic area. It describes the relative heights, slopes, and shapes of the land surface.

Elevation: The height of a location above or below a reference level, commonly mean sea level. Topography compares elevations across an area to describe its surface.
Contour line: A map line connecting points of equal elevation. Contour lines depict topography by tracing constant-height paths across a map.
Watershed: An area of land that drains precipitation and streams to a shared outlet. Topography determines drainage divides and the direction water flows through a watershed.
Bathymetry: The measurement and description of underwater depth and the shape of submerged terrain. Bathymetry describes underwater relief, while topography commonly describes land surfaces.
Relief: The difference in elevation between high and low points in a landscape. Relief captures the vertical variation that gives topography its shape.
Digital elevation model: A digital representation of terrain elevations arranged as a regular grid of cells. Elevation grids encode topography for analysis and visualization.
Viewshed analysis: A method for identifying locations visible from a viewpoint across a landscape. Elevation and intervening terrain determine which places can be seen.
Geomorphology: The scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them. Geomorphology explains how the terrain described by topography formed and changes.
Slope: The steepness and direction of a surface, determined by elevation change over distance. Slope expresses how quickly elevation changes across topographic surfaces.
Topographic map: A map that represents terrain with elevation contours and other geographic features. It presents topography in a form that can be read alongside roads and waterways.

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