Topographic mapping
General Information Product
Archived Publication--Most of the information contained in this publication is no longer current and is not expected to be updated.
By: Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey
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Abstract
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) produced its first topographic map in 1879, the same year it was established. Today, more than 100 years and millions of map copies later, topographic mapping is still a central activity for the USGS. The topographic map remains an indispensable tool for government, science, industry, and leisure. Much has changed since early topographers traveled the unsettled West and carefully plotted the first USGS maps by hand. Advances in survey techniques, instrumentation, and design and printing technologies, as well as the use of aerial photography and satellite data, have dramatically improved mapping coverage, accuracy, and efficiency. Yet cartography, the art and science of mapping, may never before have undergone change more profound than today.
Suggested Citation
Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey, 2008, Topographic mapping: General Information Product, HTML Document, https://doi.org/10.3133/70037969.
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Unnumbered Series |
| Title | Topographic mapping |
| Series title | General Information Product |
| DOI | 10.3133/70037969 |
| Year Published | 2008 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Publisher location | Reston, VA |
| Description | HTML Document |
| Country | United States |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | Y |