GIS Dictionary

[surveying] A plane of reference for depths, depth contours, and elevations of foreshore and offshore features.

[geodesy] A survey of a water body, particularly of its currents, depth, submarine relief, and adjacent land.

[geodesy] The measurement and description of water features and their related land areas for the purposes of safe marine navigation.

[geography] The circulation of water from the earth through the atmosphere and back again. Its major stages are evaporation, condensation, precipitation, run-off, transpiration, infiltration, and percolation.

The study of water, its behavior, and its movements across and below the surface of the earth, and through the atmosphere.

A reference (link) from one point in an electronic document to another document or another location in the same document (the target). Activating the link, usually by clicking it with … Read more

[cartography] The study and representation of elevation and the earth’s topography.

[cartography] A curve showing the relationship of area to elevation for specified terrain. A hypsometric curve is plotted on a graph on which the x-axis represents surface area and the … Read more

[cartography] A map showing relief, whether by contours, hachures, shading, or tinting.

[map design] Relief or depth depicted by a gradation of colors, usually between contour lines. Each color represents a different range of elevation.

1 [geodesy] The science that determines the spatial distribution of elevations above an established datum, usually sea level. 2 [geodesy] The determination of terrain relief, by any method.