Map Skills, Atlas Work and Fieldwork Techniques
What you must know
You must read grid references, scale, direction, relief and symbols. Four-figure grid references give a square, eastings before northings ('along the corridor, up the stairs'). Six-figure references add tenths for precision. Scale converts map distance to ground distance. Contours show height and shape: closely spaced lines mean steep ground, and V shapes pointing uphill mark valleys. Bearings are measured clockwise from north in degrees.
Concepts to master
Cross-sections, gradient, drainage patterns, settlement patterns, land use, and interpreting photographs and satellite images. For fieldwork, know how to write an aim, choose sampling (random, systematic, stratified), design a recording sheet, and identify sources of error. Know the difference between primary and secondary data.
Traps in questions
Eastings are read before northings - reversing them is the commonest error. Always give units (km, m, degrees). Do not describe a steep slope as gently sloping. When measuring bearing, start at north and go clockwise, not anticlockwise.
Worked example
A straight road measures 4 cm on a map with scale 1:50,000. Ground distance = 4 × 50,000 cm = 200,000 cm = 2 km. Gradient = vertical rise ÷ horizontal distance: a rise of 100 m over 2,000 m gives 1 in 20, or 5%. Show the working, convert to the same units, and state the units.