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Topographic Maps |
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Topographic maps contain data on the natural features of the land, such as elevations, contours, water bodies, and other features, plus they may also contain man-made features such as roads, railroads, buildings and structures, etc. The main concept of topographic maps is that they show the way the landscape would appear if viewed from above. A brief note on the history of the USGS topographic map system describes the creation of this valuable series. The UB Map Collection includes topographical maps of the entire United States at scales of 1:24,000, 1:100,000, and 1:250,000; a complete set of Canadian topographic maps at 1:50,000 and 1:100,000; world maps at 1:1,000,000; and maps of Europe, Mexico, and other areas at more detailed scales. U.S. topographical maps are arranged alphabetically by state, and then alphabetically by map name. Use Index maps to locate topographic maps for the U.S. and Canada. (Click here for the location of topographic maps in the Map Room). In addition to printed maps, digital maps are available:
In addition, there are historic or pre-1950 topographic maps (mostly 1:63,360) of New York State. These can be located using BISON the UB Libraries Catalog, and are available for use inside the Map Room. Ask for assistance at the UGL/SEL reference desk. An index is available at several external sites: Historic Maps of New England and New York state, or the MapTech site (commercial site; some restrictions for use). Both websites provide direct access to image files of the topo maps. Also available online are some Pennsylvania pre-1950 maps. Examples of Buffalo topos can seen here: Historical Topographic Maps of Buffalo. To order USGS maps, visit the USGS Store with order information, or visit commercial map dealers. Topographic Maps. USGS page describing terms and concepts relating to topo maps. A good starting point is: Introduction to Topographic Maps (Geospatial Training and Analysis Cooperative). Provides instruction on reading and using topo maps. Topographic map symbols. Though somewhat uniform throughout the cartographic world, not all maps use the same symbols. This link shows symbols used by USGS. Additional descriptions here: Topographic map symbols, landforms, and map examples (California State University, Sacramento). USGS Topographic Maps - The largest collection of maps in the Map Room are U.S. government produced topographic map series. Below are numerical statistics on the number of USGS Topographic Maps in various series from the National Topographic Map Names Database.
Sample topographic maps
(For an index to Western New York State 1:24,000 scale maps, go to the low resolution Map Index (Western NY). The entire state is broken into four sections. All four are 8.5 by 11 inch Acrobat format (PDF) files. (Note: These files are large and will display and print more efficiently if saved to disk and opened in the Acrobat Reader software outside of your Internet browser.)
If you need further assistance, please contact the UGL/SEL Reference Desk by calling 645-2945 or via e-mail at askASL@buffalo.edu |
