What pattern do contour lines form to indicate a ridge?

What pattern do contour lines form to indicate a ridge?

• A. Contours forming a successive 'V' or 'U' pattern
• B. Contours forming a circular pattern
• C. Contours crossing themselves
• D. Contours parallel to a water body

Answer: (A)

Contour lines show elevation, so the way they bend reveals the shape of the terrain. A long, narrow crest shows up on a map as a sequence of contour lines that bend into V- or U-shaped patterns along the length of the feature. Each V shape points toward the higher ground of the ridge, and the lines align in a successive chain along the crest. That marching V/U pattern is the telltale sign of a ridge, distinguishing it from a closed hill contour, a cliff or cross pattern, or a shoreline-parallel slope. Circular patterns surround a single high point rather than a long crest, crossings of contour lines aren’t a valid feature on proper maps, and lines parallel to a body of water reflect a slope running alongside the coast or river, not a ridge.

Contour lines show elevation, so the way they bend reveals the shape of the terrain. A long, narrow crest shows up on a map as a sequence of contour lines that bend into V- or U-shaped patterns along the length of the feature. Each V shape points toward the higher ground of the ridge, and the lines align in a successive chain along the crest. That marching V/U pattern is the telltale sign of a ridge, distinguishing it from a closed hill contour, a cliff or cross pattern, or a shoreline-parallel slope. Circular patterns surround a single high point rather than a long crest, crossings of contour lines aren’t a valid feature on proper maps, and lines parallel to a body of water reflect a slope running alongside the coast or river, not a ridge.