The idea of lines that join points of equal value was rediscovered several times. The oldest known isobath (contour line of constant depth) is found on a map dated 1584 of the river See more

Contour lines are often given specific names beginning with "iso-" according to the nature of the variable being mapped, although in many usages the phrase "contour line" is most commonly used. Specific names are most common in meteorology, where … See more

Most commonly contour lines are drawn in plan view, or as an observer in space would view the Earth's surface: ordinary map form. However, some parameters can often be displayed in profile view showing a vertical profile of the parameter mapped. Some of the most … See more

• Aeronautical chart
• Bathymetry
• Dymaxion map
• Fall line (topography)
• Geologic map
• Marching squares See more

• finding boundaries of level sets after image segmentation
• Active contour model See more

To maximize readability of contour maps, there are several design choices available to the map creator, principally line weight, line color, line type and method of numerical marking. See more

Labels are a critical component of elevation maps. A properly labeled contour map helps the reader to quickly interpret the shape of the … See more