Surveying helps determine accurately the terrestrial or three-dimensional space position of points and the distances and angles between them using leveling instruments such as theodolites, dumpy levels and clinometers. Michael Paterniti Kiese Makeba Laymon Carina Del Valle Schorske Dessa Irina Aleksander Sam Dolnick Mark Binelli Maggie Jones Rob Hoerburger Jamie Lauren Keiles Devin Gordon Jazmine Hughes Jenna Wortham Jade Chang Taffy Brodesser-akner Kaitlyn Greenidge Reginald Dwayne Betts Rowan Ricardo Phillips Wesley Morris Ismail Muhammad Anthony Giardina, We Added New Words to the Dictionary for January 2021. It takes account of the factors like relative positions and elevations related to a particular landscape. A topographic map shows how the ground is shaped and provides a way to calculate the height of the features on the map. Topographic mapping should not be confused with geologic mapping. It is also used to show geographical names (toponymy), certain symbols, geographic coordinates, and precise elevations. Topological relationships between geometric entities traditionally include adjacency (what adjoins what), containment (what encloses what), and proximity (how close something is to something else). Topography definition is - the art or practice of graphic delineation in detail usually on maps or charts of natural and man-made features of a place or region especially in … Terrain is commonly modelled either using vector (triangulated irregular network or TIN) or gridded (Raster image) mathematical models. In the 20th century, the term topography started to be used to describe surface description in other fields where mapping in a broader sense is used, particularly in medical fields such as neurology. reconstitute a sight in synthesized images of the ground. Certainly they have become more and more a part of geovisualization, whether maps or GIS systems. A line of sight (or ray) can be built from the camera location to the point on the object. These were defined in 1984 by the National Council for Geographic Education and the Association of American Geographers to facilitate and organize the teaching of geography in the K … that the map represents a complete surface. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). topography. Human Geography. They may derive naming and cultural information from other local sources (for example, boundary delineation may be derived from local cadastral mapping). Physical geography is the study of Earth’s seasons, climate, atmosphere, soil, streams, landforms, and oceans. In this technique, the common points are identified on each image. In neuroscience, the neuroimaging discipline uses techniques such as EEG topography for brain mapping. In areas where there has been an extensive direct survey and mapping program (most of Europe and the Continental U.S., for example), the compiled data forms the basis of basic digital elevation datasets such as USGS DEM data. Main Difference. Learn more. The word comes from the Greek τόπος (topos, "place") and -γραφία (-graphia, "writing"). SINCE 1828. corneal topography: The use of a camera and a computer to make a three-dimensional map of the cornea of the eye, typically in preparation for surgery. The topography of an area can also mean the surface shape and features themselves. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Topography is the study of the land surface. Send us feedback. 2. (Physical Geography) the land forms or surface configuration of a region. 4. ‘For a work of economic geography, there are few maps, and none of them is very detailed.’ As with field notes, remote sensing data (aerial and satellite photography, for example), is raw and uninterpreted. 1. Many government and private publishers use the artwork (especially the contour lines) from existing topographic map sheets as the basis for their own specialized or updated topographic maps.[9]. The first person to use the word γεωγραφία was Eratosthenes (276–194 BC). Photogrammetry is a measurement technique for which the co-ordinates of the points in 3D of an object are determined by the measurements made in two photographic images (or more) taken starting from different positions, usually from different passes of an aerial photography flight. topography in Geography topic. 2. countable noun [usually singular, with poss] The topography of a particular area is … Learn a new word every day. Most modern topographic mapping includes a large component of remotely sensed data in its compilation process. Kids learn about the Earth science subject of topography including features such as landforms, elevation, latitude, longitude, and topographical maps. While of historical interest, these field notes inherently include errors and contradictions that later stages in map production resolve. DEMs may be derived from existing paper maps and survey data, or they may be generated from new satellite or other remotely sensed radar or sonar data. 3. A topographic (or topo) map not only shows the surface features of a region but also indicates the contours and approximate altitude of every location, by means of numerous curving lines, each indicating a single elevation. In human anatomy, topography is superficial human anatomy. Topography combines top- with graph-, a root meaning "write" or "describe". Digital Land Surface Models should not be confused with Digital Surface Models, which can be surfaces of the canopy, buildings and similar objects. Even though remote sensing has greatly sped up the process of gathering information, and has allowed greater accuracy control over long distances, the direct survey still provides the basic control points and framework for all topographic work, whether manual or GIS-based. Topographic map definition: What do the colors mean? ( təˈpɒɡrəfɪ) n, pl -phies. The earliest detailed surveys in the United States were made by the “Topographical Bureau of the Army,” formed during the War of 1812,[7] which became the Corps of Topographical Engineers in 1838. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. It is often considered to include the graphic representation of the landform on a map by a variety of techniques, including contour lines, hypsometric tints, and relief shading. Cambridge Dictionary +Plus The original American topographic surveys (or the British "Ordnance" surveys) involved not only recording of relief, but identification of landmark features and vegetative land cover. It is the intersection of its rays (triangulation) which determines the relative three-dimensional position of the point. It can also include the surface of other planets, the moon, asteroids and meteors. 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? Besides their role in photogrammetry, aerial and satellite imagery can be used to identify and delineate terrain features and more general land-cover features. the shape of an area of land, including its hills, valleys etc —topographer noun [ countable] —topographical /ˌtɒpəˈɡræfɪkəl $ ˌtɑː-, ˌtoʊ-/ adjective Examples from the Corpus topography • The Bible had always had a local topography in his imagination. Earth Science for Kids: Topography History Biography Geography Science Games Which method(s) to use depends on the scale and size of the area under study, its accessibility, and the quality of existing surveys. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary science and is concerned with local detail in general, including not only relief, but also natural and artificial features, and even local history and culture. [4] In classical literature this refers to writing about a place or places, what is now largely called 'local history'. Topography, a term in geography, has come to refer to the "lie of the land", or the geographic characteristics of land in terms of elevation, slope, and orientation. " topography meaning: 1. the physical appearance of the natural features of an area of land, especially the shape of its…. phies 1. In civil engineering and entertainment businesses, the most representations of land surface employ some variant of TIN models. Satellite RADAR mapping is one of the major techniques of generating Digital Elevation Models (see below). In the most applications in environmental sciences, land surface is represented and modelled using gridded models. Digital Elevation Models, for example, have often been created not from new remote sensing data but from existing paper topographic maps. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'topography.' Topography is a field of planetary science comprising the study of surface shape and features of the Earth and other observable astronomical objects including planets, moons, and asteroids. Images can be in visible colours and in other spectrum. A detailed graphic representation of the surface features of a place or object. In recent years, LIDAR (LIght Detection And Ranging), a remote sensing technique that uses a laser instead of radio waves, has increasingly been employed for complex mapping needs such as charting canopies and monitoring glaciers. 3. While not officially "topographic" maps, the national surveys of other nations share many of the same features, and so they are often called "topographic maps. In practice, surveyors first sample heights in an area, then use these to produce a Digital Land Surface Model in the form of a TIN. The USGS calls maps based on topographic surveys, but without contours, "planimetric maps.". Topography is a broad term used to describe the detailed study of the earth's surface. The topography of an area could refer to the surface forms and features themselves, or a description (especially their depiction in maps). Known control points can be used to give these relative positions absolute values. Topography: the physical features of a region as a whole. ", Existing topographic survey maps, because of their comprehensive and encyclopedic coverage, form the basis for much derived topographic work. In Britain and in Europe in general, the word topography is still sometimes used in its original sense.[5]. the detailed mapping or charting of the features of a relatively small area, district, or locality. These topological relationships allow complex spatial modelling and analysis to be performed. Discussion of an area’s geography usually refers to its topography—its relief and drainage patterns and predominant vegetation, along with climate and weather patterns—together with human responses to that environment, as in agricultural, industrial, and other land uses and in … Delivered to your inbox! In tissue engineering, atomic force microscopy is used to map nanotopography. In geostatistics, land surface is commonly modelled as a combination of the two signals – the smooth (spatially correlated) and the rough (noise) signal. It is also the description of such surface shapes and features. Physical Geography. The design of the house had to be integrated into the site’s steep, Rein can add still more variables like wind and, Owing to an unlucky combination of nearby wildfires, wind currents, and, The wind direction shifts now from the northwest to the northeast, and the fire leaps into alignment with the, This is a matter of temperament as much as, Post the Definition of topography to Facebook, Share the Definition of topography on Twitter. The insights that have come from geographic research show … Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. 2. A geographic information system (GIS) can recognize and analyze the spatial relationships that exist within digitally stored spatial data. Detailed military surveys in Britain (beginning in the late eighteenth century) were called Ordnance Surveys, and this term was used into the 20th century as generic for topographic surveys and maps. A topographic study may be made for a variety of reasons: military planning and geological exploration have been primary motivators to start survey programs, but detailed information about terrain and surface features is essential for the planning and construction of any major civil engineering, public works, or reclamation projects. (Physical Geography) the study or detailed description of the surface features of a region. Topographic survey information is historically based upon the notes of surveyors. The main difference between Topography and Geography is that the Topography is a field of science and Geography is a science that studies the terrestrial surface, the societies that inhabit it and the territories, landscapes, places … The difference between the two surface models can then be used to derive volumetric measures (height of trees etc.). In other words, it shows a "three-dimensional" picture on a two-dimensional surface. This is also known as geomorphometry. What made you want to look up topography? It is an important part of earth science.. Terrain " is a similar concept, used more to describe the land itself than the study of it. Topography is a branch of planetary science which deals with the study of natural and artificial features of a place. And it’s also closely tied to geography and mapping systems like GIS. [1][2][3], The term topography originated in ancient Greece and continued in ancient Rome, as the detailed description of a place. topography definition: 1. the physical appearance of the natural features of an area of land, especially the shape of its…. Topography in a narrow sense involves the recording of relief or terrain, the three-dimensional quality of the surface, and the identification of specific landforms. The physical characteristics, especially the surface features, of an area. Accessed 27 Jan. 2021. Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times. (noun) This data must often be "cleaned" to eliminate discrepancies between surveys, but it still forms a valuable set of information for large-scale analysis. Topography is the study of the shape and features of the surface of the Earth and other observable astronomical objects including planets, moons, and asteroids. Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. Synonym: videokeratography See also: topography It’s closely related to geodesy and surveying which are concerned with accurately measuring the land surface. The five themes of geography are location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and region. Learn more. The pixels of the dataset are each assigned an elevation value, and a header portion of the dataset defines the area of coverage, the units each pixel covers, and the units of elevation (and the zero-point). 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