Vertical section

Vertical section

Vertical sections are vertical cuts through the surface of the Earth to illustrate relief forms or geological layers. Older vertical sections were often depicted super-elevated in order to highlight minor elevation differences in the terrain. Modern-day scientific vertical sections use the same scale for length and height. One variation on the vertical section is the comparative elevation map, which was primarily popular in the 19th century.

Picture: «Atlas zu Alex. v. Humboldt’s Kosmos», Traugott Bromme, [1851], e-rara