The following steps may be followed to draw cross-sections of various relief features from their contours:
(i) Draw a straight line cutting across the contours on the map and mark it as XY.
(ii) Take a strip of white paper or graph and place its edge along the XY line.
(iii) Mark the position and value of every contour that cuts the line XY.
(iv) Choode a suitable vertical scale, e.g. ½ cm =100 metres, to draw horizontal lines parallel to each other and equal to the length of XY. The number of such lines should be equal or more than the total contour lines.
(v) Label the appropriate values corresponding to the contour values along the vertical of the cross-section. The numbering may be started with the lowest value represented by the contours.
(vi) Place the edge of the marked paper along the horizontal line at the bottom line of the cross-section in such a way that XY of the paper corresponds to the XY of the map and mark the contour points.
(vii) Draw perpendiculars from XY line, intersecting contour lines, to the corresponding line at the cross-section base.
(viii) Smoothly join all the points marked on different lines at the cross-section base.
