In 2008, the USGS phased out these labor-intensive methods ... Furthermore, serious adventurers scoff at the new shaded-relief versions of the maps. A contour map can be read upside down or ...

This USGS illustration shows an oblique shaded relief depiction of the state’s topography, using LIDAR data from the agency’s 3D Elevation Program. Image courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey This ...

Shaded relief map of western North America, with the Basin and Range Province labeled. (Credit: USGS.) This succession of mountains and valleys is caused by Earth's crust stretching and breaking. As ...

The maps are built in layers and can be manipulated to turn various features on or off, including contours, shaded relief areas ... familiar with the existing USGS topo maps, which were a feat ...