Earth Science Vocabulary - Models Of The Earth

Front 1

science of map making

Back 1

cartography

Front 2

map projections in which the meridian converges at the poles; the parallel appears as equally spaced, concentric circles

Back 2

conic projection

Front 3

line on a map connecting points with the same elevation

Back 3

contour line

Front 4

contour line with short, straight lines drawn along the inside of the loop pointing toward its center that indicates a depression

Back 4

depression contour

Front 5

height above sea level

Back 5

elevation

Front 6

point on the earth’s surface above a pole of the earth’s imaginary internal magnet

Back 6

geomagnetic pole

Front 7

map projections in which the parallels appear as unevenly spaced, concentric circles, the meridians appear as straight lines radiating from a central point, and all other circles appear as straight lines

Back 7

gnomonic projection

Front 8

every fifth contour line on a topographic map that is printed bold for reference

Back 8

index contour

Front 9

any circle that divides the globe in half

Back 9

great circle

Front 10

angular distance north or south of the equator

Back 10

latitude

Front 11

list of map symbols and their meaning

Back 11

legend

Front 12

angular distance east or west of the prime meridian

Back 12

longitude

Front 13

angle between the direction of the earth’s geographic pole and the direction in which a compass needle points

Back 13

magnetic declination

Front 14

flat map that represents a three-dimensional curved surface

Back 14

map projection

Front 15

mean sea level

Back 15

point midway between the highest and lowest tide levels of the ocean

Front 16

map projection in which the meridians appear as straight, parallel evenly spaced lines and form a grid with the parallels which appear as straight, parallel, and unevenly spaced lines

Back 16

Mercator projection

Front 17

semicircle on the earth that runs from pole to pole

Back 17

meridian

Front 18

any circle that runs east and west around the earth parallel to the equator

Back 18

parallel

Front 19

map made by fitting together a series of conic projections of adjoining areas

Back 19

polyconic projection

Front 20

the meridian that passes through Greenwich, England, designated as 0 degrees

Back 20

Prime meridian

Front 21

differences in elevation between the highest and lowest points of an area

Back 21

relief

Front 22

relationship between distance shown on a map and actual distance

Back 22

scale

Front 23

map that shows the surface features of the earth

Back 23

topographic map

Front 24

surface features of the earth

Back 24

topography

Front 25

direction of the geographic North Pole

Back 25

true north