Practice question

What does a profile plot indicate?

  1. Cut-away view or cross-section view
  2. Bird's-eye view of the terrain
  3. Color-coded relief shading
  4. 3D perspective of the terrain

Answer: A — Cut-away view or cross-section view

A profile plot shows a vertical cross-section of the terrain along a line, effectively a cut-away view that plots elevation against distance. It lays out how height changes as you move along that path, revealing slopes and gradients that aren’t visible from overhead views. This is different from a bird's-eye top-down map, color-shaded relief, or a full 3D perspective, which display the surface in plan, shaded detail, or three-dimensional form rather than a side view of elevation along a line.

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