How can a contour map be turned into a simple side-view profile?

It means representing the ground along one chosen line as if you were looking at it from the side. The map shows contour lines from above; the profile places the line’s contour crossings in order against their elevations. The result is a simple picture of where the ground rises and falls along that line. A USGS learning activity pairs a line across two hills with a profile below it, using guide lines to connect contour crossings to their corresponding places. [S1]

For this exercise, imagine a made-up landscape, not a guide to a real place. A profile is only as informative as the contours you transfer: it cannot show every small bump or feature between them.

Try these steps:

1. Choose a straight line across the map and label its ends A and B.
2. Starting at A, mark every contour the line crosses, in order. If it crosses the same elevation again, record that crossing separately.
3. Note each crossing’s elevation using the map’s labels or legend. Don’t guess missing elevations.
4. Below the map, draw a horizontal baseline from A to B and a vertical elevation scale.
5. Transfer each crossing to the profile at its relative left-to-right position and matching height. Connect the points with a simple line.

Guide lines from the map crossings to the profile can help keep the two views aligned. The USGS activity’s example uses a 10-foot contour interval; other maps may use a different interval. [S1]

Suppose a fictional line crosses contours in this order: 100, 110, 120, 110, 100 feet. The fictional map has a 10-foot contour interval. These values are for practice, not readings from a real map.

The profile rises through 100, 110, and 120 feet, then descends through 110 and 100 feet. Plot each crossing where it falls along the map line; don’t space the points evenly unless the crossings are evenly spaced. The sequence suggests a hill, but without the crossing positions it does not tell you the hill’s width or the steepness of each section. The USGS activity uses profiles to compare height and steepness. [S1]

Crossing in order:   1      2      3      4      5
Elevation (feet):   100    110    120    110    100
Profile shape:       ↗      ↗      peak    ↘      ↘

Check that you recorded crossings from A toward B, kept repeated elevations as separate crossings, and placed each point at its relative position along the line. The profile connects the recorded heights in sequence; it does not fill in details the map does not provide.

Blank practice: Assume a fictional contour interval of 10 feet. A line crosses elevations 50, 60, 70, 60, and 50 feet in that order. Use the blank plotting guide below; choose positions for the crossings and keep their order.

Elevation
 70 |________________________________
 60 |________________________________
 50 |________________________________
    A                                B
         Crossing positions: _______

Answer key: the profile rises from 50 to 60 to 70 feet, then descends through 60 to 50 feet. Its general outline is a hill. Since no crossing positions are given, the key shows only the order and broad shape—not the hill’s width or steepness.