Lab 2: Learning About Topography

To further understand the applications of topography, we were asked to examine the 7.5 Minute Topographic Map of Beverly Hills as provided by the USGS.  Here is some pertinent information deduced from the map:

1. The name of the quadrangle is the Beverly Hills Quadrangle.
2. The names of the adjacent quadrangles are as follows: Canoga Park, Van Nuys, Burbank, Topanga, Hollywood, Venice, and Inglewood.
3. According to the information provided on the map, topographic information for the Beverly Hills area was compiled in 1966.  Boundaries were subsequently verified in 1998, indicating that the quadrangle was first created in that year.
4. The North American Datum of 1927 and 1983 were used to create the map.
5. The scale of the map is 1: 24,000.

6. At the above scale:

    a) 5 centimeters on the map is equivalent to 1200 meters on the ground.

    b) 5 inches on the map is equivalent to 1.89 miles on the ground.

    c) one mile on the ground is equivalent to 2.64 inches on the map.

    d) three kilometers on the ground is equivalent to 12.5 centimeters on the map.

7. The contour interval is 20 feet.

8. Listed are the approximate geographic coordinates in both degrees/minutes/seconds and decimal degrees of:

This data was taken from the map and then recorded and tabulated using Microsoft Word.

9. Found below are the approximate elevations in both feet and meters of:

a) Greystone Mansion (in Greystone Park): Elevation 570 ft = 173.736 m.

b) Woodlawn Cemetery: Elevation 140 ft = 42.672 m.

c) Crestwood Hills Park: Elevation 640 ft = 195.072 m.

10. The UTM zone is of the map is Zone 11 North.

11. The UTM coordinates for the lower left corner of the map are ³⁷63 Northing, and ³62 Easting.

12. Each cell (square) of the UTM gridlines contains 9,290,304 m².

13. Along the UTM northing 3771000, measurements were obtained where the eastings of the UTM grid intersect the northing.  An elevation profile using these measurements was created in Microsoft Excel. Two measurements of the UCLA campus are specifically noted.

 

14. The magnetic declination of the map is 14°.

15. The intermittent stream between the 405 freeway and Stone Canyon

Reservoir flows South, from an elevation of approximately 1100 ft to an elevation of about 900 ft.

16. Finally, here is a graphic of the UCLA campus as shown on the Beverly Hills Quadrangle: