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A Topographic Profile ofArizona’s Massive Meteor CraterHow to Construct a Topographic Profile inArcGIS

Last Updated: Jan 12, 2018

Topographic Profiles as Cross-sectional Views

Topographic profiles are cross-sectional views showing elevation along aline. In other words, if you could slice the Earth along that line and view itfrom the side, that two-dimensional graph displaying height would be atopographic profile.

Topographic profiles have different terms to describe them – vertical profiles,cross-section graphs or 2D elevation charts.

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Similar to contour lines in topographic maps, they have different uses inengineering (like fiber optic cable design), hydrology (slope along a channelwith a rise over run) and land use planning (ski slope design).

We’re going to show you how to construct topographic profiles using a DEMwith the 3D analyst extension in ArcGIS.

Arizona’s Meteor Crater

All that force to make such an impact on Earth… Pretty incredible, isn’t it?

Map data @2016 Google Imagery @2016 Digital Globe (Arizona Meteor Crater)

For those who don’t know, this is the Meteor Crater, also known as BarringerCrater in Coconino County, Arizona (35°1′38″N, 111°1′21″W)

Staring at this thrusting impact from the meteor… you can’t help but wonder,how much impact did the meteor make into the Earth? Well, it’s tough to seelooking from the top-down. Here’s how the Digital Elevation Model (DEM)looks:

1/25/19, 1(32 PMA Topographic Profile of Arizona's Massive Meteor Crater - GIS Geography

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A 3D view could be helpful, but how about a vertical profile?

In order to graph out topographic profiles, you will have to enable the 3Dextension. You’ll also have to add the 3D toolbar.

The interpolate line lets you draw a line to analyze the slope and createtopographic profiles.

You’re going to start drawing a line where you want the elevation profile. Wefree hand the line across the meteor crater. Adding a bit of transparency forreference, here’s where our profile line will plot out the topographic profile:

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Select the Profile Graph tool, and it looks like this:

You can eyeball the topographic profile and estimate that it made about 150 –170 meters of an impact into the Earth. Further to that, it’s about a mile or sowide.

Not the place you’d like to be standing when disaster strikes.

Now, It’s Your Turn to Create a Topographic Profile

You can do some pretty neat stuff with the 3D analyst tools. Generating cross-section lines and 2D graphs are just one of them.

A topographic profile of Mount Everest… Or even plot out a mountain near

1/25/19, 1(32 PMA Topographic Profile of Arizona's Massive Meteor Crater - GIS Geography

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your home with these free global DEM data sources.

Simply, 2D graphs show height on the land.

They are cross sectional 2D views along a line drawn through a portion of atopographic map with tons of real-world applications.