Map Reading and Navigation Flashcards
7 cards from real State Trooper practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Map Reading and Navigation flashcards as text
On a standard USGS topographic map, what does a contour interval of 20 feet mean?
Answer: Each contour line represents a 20-foot change in elevation
The contour interval is the vertical distance in elevation between adjacent contour lines on a topographic map.
You are dispatched to an address on the north side of a divided highway. Which action correctly uses a map to locate the nearest legal crossing?
Answer: Look for interchange symbols or median crossover locations marked on the map
Interchange symbols and crossover markings on the map indicate legal crossing points on divided highways.
A CAD system shows a call at grid reference 14-F. How do you locate this on a paper map grid?
Answer: Find column 14 along the horizontal axis, then row F along the vertical axis
Standard alphanumeric grid references read the horizontal (column) value first, then the vertical (row) value.
While navigating at night without GPS, which map feature best helps a trooper confirm their location on a rural highway?
Answer: Mile markers and posted route numbers cross-referenced with the map
Mile markers and route numbers are physical landmarks that can be directly cross-referenced against map notation even in low-visibility conditions.
What does a dashed blue line on a standard road map typically represent?
Answer: An intermittent or seasonal stream
Dashed blue lines on maps conventionally indicate streams or rivers that flow only part of the year.
A trooper needs to calculate the straight-line distance between two points on a 1:24,000 scale map. The measured map distance is 3 inches. What is the actual distance?
Answer: Approximately 1.1 miles
At 1:24,000 scale, 1 inch equals 24,000 inches (2,000 feet); 3 inches equals 6,000 feet, which is approximately 1.1 miles.
When reading a map legend, a solid red line with a number inside a shield symbol most commonly represents which type of road?
Answer: A U.S. numbered federal highway
The shield symbol with a number is the standard cartographic representation for U.S. numbered federal highways on American maps.