Land Navigation Map Reading Basic Map Skills Identify

Land Navigation Map Reading

Basic Map Skills Identify Map colors n Identify Map Symbols n Identify Marginal Information n Identify Terrain Features n

Basic Map Skills Identify Grid n Identify Elevation n Grid vs. Magnetic Azimuth n Determine Azimuth n Back Azimuth n Determine Distance n

Map Colors n n Black - Indicates cultural (man-made) features such as buildings and roads, surveyed spot elevations, and all labels Red-Brown - Combined to identify cultural features, all relief features, nonsurveyed spot elevations, and elevation, such as contour lines on red-light readable maps

Map Colors n n n Blue - Identifies hydrography or water features such as lakes, swamps, rivers, and drainage Green - Identifies vegetation with military significance, such as woods, orchards, and vineyards Brown - Identifies all relief features and elevation, such as contours on older edition maps, and cultivated land on redlight readable maps

Map Colors Red - Classifies cultural features, such as populated areas, main roads, and boundaries, on older maps n Other - Occasionally other colors may be used to show special information. These are indicated in the marginal information as a rule n

VGT 5

VGT 6

VGT 7

VGT 8

Identify Map Symbols Refer to Legend

Marginal Information n n n Geographic area and scale - top left Name of map sheet - top center Map edition, map series, and map sheet number - top right Legend - bottom left Bar scale, contour interval, grid reference box, and declination diagram - bottom center Elevation guide, adjoining map sheet diagram, and boundaries box - bottom right

Terrain Features - Major Hill n Ridge n Valley n Saddle n Depression n

Terrain Features - Minor Draw n Spur n

Terrain Features Supplementary Cliff n Cut n Fill n

Identify a Grid

VGT 23

VGT 24

Identifying a Grid Read Right then Up n Bottom left corner identifies first two digits I. e. 12__56__ n Use coordinate scale to identify last two digits I. e. __34__78 n Add proper grid zone designator to front I. e. AB ____ n

Identify Elevation

Elevation n n n Locate point on the map Determine contour interval of map Locate index contour line nearest point Count number of contour lines up or down that must be crossed to get to point Points at top of hill add half the contour interval Points at bottom of depression subtract half the contour interval

Grid vs. Magnetic Azimuth

THREE NORTH'S N TRUE NORTH VGT 32 MAGNETIC NORTH GN GRID NORTH

Determine Azimuth

VGT 55

Determine Azimuth Plot location of two points n Use straight edge to draw line between both points (line must be long enough to cross scale on protractor) n Use protractor to determine azimuth n

VGT 43

VGT 44

VGT 45

VGT 46

VGT 59

Determine Back Azimuth

Back Azimuth - azimuth taken from a distant point toward your location n Used in Resection n Numbers less than 180 - add 180 n Numbers greater than 180 - subtract 180 n

Determine Distance

Determine Distance n Straight Line – – n Use edge of paper and mark distance between points Line paper up next to scale to determine distance Road Distance – – Break curve into series of straight lines and measure from curve to curve Line paper up next to scale to determine distance

Advanced Skills Intersection n Resection n

PRACTICAL EXERCISE TENINO YOU ARE AT A STRUCTURE IN AN UNKNOWN LOCATION. YOU DETERMINE THAT SPOT ELEVATION 215 IN GRID SQUARE EG 1686 IS ON A MAGNETIC AZIMUTH OF 358 1/2 DEGREES. YOU ALSO SEE THE WATER TOWER IN GRID SQUARE EG 1185. IT IS ON A MAGNETIC AZIMUTH OF 290 DEGREES FROM YOUR POSITION. DETERMINE WHICH STRUCTURE YOU ARE LOCATED AT TO WITHIN 100 METERS. VGT 40