Mason Harp's Maps

I chose to analyze the terrain of New Hanover County and Onslow County. I chose this area because it was easily accessible from the USGS website. I was also interested in this area because I have never traveled to the east coast before, and doing this assignment would help me learn more about the geography in North Carolina. The coordinates of the area are bounded within 35.001667N -76.99833E 33.998333S and -78.00166W.

The first map uploaded is an elevation model of the area. There appears to be three major rivers coming from the hill top that is shaded red. According to the frequency chart, the hill seems to be about 40m tall. Each of these three rivers are winding down the hilltop eventually being dumped into the ocean. You can also see a shade of red occurring next to the coastline meaning there is a small hill leading to the beach rather than being flat.

The second map is measuring peak classification. The parameters I chose were peaks above 20m. You can clearly see the hilltop is highlighted yellow along with the coastal ridge. This parameter was perfect to conclude where there were areas with high elevation or areas with low elevation.

The last map is measuring dips in the area. Dips are any piece of land that is below the elevationof 0. Areas covered in red have dips about -1m or less. The areas in black have dips greater than 1m. The two rivers to the north seem to have  an elevation of zero (due to its while hue), while the river towards the south western part of the map looks to have an elevation below -1m. This seems likely due to a dam built near the ocean. The water levels have dropped below 0m due to evaporation or other water uses. Most of the land that is red also means there is either a body of water (river), or a grassland.

By looking at each of these maps together, we can assume the terrain of the area. The altitude seems to stay below 40m while having many rivers and grasslands. Most of the water is draining from the hiltop in the northeast. Using digital elevation models to measure elevation, peaks, and dips, are very useful when analyzing terrain.