TOPOGRAPHIC MAP EXERCISES - New Kent Quadrangle
Quadrangle Name: NEW KENT, VIRGINIA
Physiographic Region: COASTAL PLAIN
This map is on the Coastal Plain. Check the inset map in bottom margin to see
where in Virginia it is located.
- Notice the very sharp meanders in the Pamunkey River. Do you think the river will
eventually short-cut through these meanders? Can you find two or three sites where this is
already happening?
- Notice that the meanders flow around very flat areas of marsh. Give the names of several
of these marshes.
- The maps are called topographic maps because they show topography, differences in
elevation of the land. Topography is shown by brown lines. Under the scale of miles at the
bottom of the map are the words "Contour interval 10 feet." For example, find
Sweet Hall Landing on the northern bank of the Pamunkey River on the eastern half of the
map near the word "Pamunkey" marking the river. At the river you are almost at
sea level or 0 feet elevation. If you walked northeast to the word "Southern"
along the railroad tracks, you would cross the 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 foot contour lines
You would cross one more contour line before getting to the word "Southern", so
what would your elevation be?
- When a river flows along a bend, think of the banks as forming two circles as in the
diagram below. The bank along the larger circle is undercut with swift flowing water while
the opposite bank (smaller circle) is swept by slower flowing water. The slower flowing
side collects mud and silt and that accumulation results in a flat area Follow the
Pamunkey river across the map and count how many times you find a cliff (from
undercutting) on one side of a bend and a flat bank (from deposition) on the opposite side
of the river:
Note the large circle (undercutting) with a steep cliff
or eroded bank vs. The small circle (deposition) with a flat, low-lying, sand or mud
- What unusual cultural feature is located along the western edge of this map?
Virginia Topographic Map Exercises Index
Answers
Go to Geography at OUZ