LAND NAVIGATION

1. Marginal Information
 A map can be compared to any piece of equipment, because it is placed into
operation, the user must read the instructions. It is important that you, as a future
leader, know how to read these instructions.
When looking at a map, the most logical place to begin is the marginal information
and symbols, where useful details about the map are located and explained.
All maps are different, so it becomes necessary to examine the marginal information
carefully every time you use them.
 Sheet Name
o In bold print located in the top center margin, lower left margin
 Sheet Number
o In bold print located in the upper right margin, lower left margin, center box
of the adjoining sheets diagram
o Used as a reference number to link specific maps to overlays, operations
orders, and plans.
o For maps at 1:100000 scale and larger, sheets numbers are based on an
arbitrary system that makes it possible to have a ready orientation of maps
at scales of 1:100000, 1:50000, and 1:25000.
 Series Name
o In bold print located in the upper right margin, lower left margin, next to
margin sheet numbers
 Bar Scales
o Located in center lower margin
o Rulers used to convert map distance to ground distance. Maps have three or
more bar scales, each in a different unit of measure.
o Care should be exercised when using the scales, especially in the selection of
the desired unit of measure.
 Contour Interval Note
o Located in center lower margin normally below bar scales
o States the vertical distance between adjacent contour lines of the map. When
supplementary contours are used, the interval is indicated.
o In recent edition maps, the contour interval is given in meters instead of
feet.
 Adjoining Sheets Diagram
o Maps at all standard scales contain a diagram that illustrates the adjoining
sheets.
 Elevation Guide
o Normally found in the lower right margin. It is a miniature characterization
of the terrain shown. The terrain is represented by bands of elevation, spot
elevations, and major drainage features.
 Declination Diagram
 o Located in the lower margin
o Indicates the angular relationship of True North, Grid North, and Magnetic
North
 Grid Reference Box
o Located in the center lower margin
o The box contains instructions for composing a grid reference
 Legend
o Located in lower left margin
o Illustrates and identifies the topographic symbols used to depict some of the
more prominent features on the map.
o Symbols are not always the same on every map. Always refer to the legend
to avoid errors when reading a map.
 Colors on Military Maps
o Black
 Indicates cultural (man-made) features such as building and roads,
surveyed spot elevations, and all labels
o Red-Brown
 Combined to identify cultural features, all relief features, non-
surveyed spot elevations, and elevation, such as contour lines on
red-light readable maps.
o Blue
 Identifies hydrography or water features such as lakes, swamps,
rivers, and drainage.
o Green
 Identifies vegetation with military significance, such as woods,
orchards, and vineyards.
o Brown
 Identifies all relief features and elevation, such as contours on older
edition maps, and cultivated land on red-light readable maps.
o Red
 Classifies cultural features, such as populated areas, main roads, and
boundaries, on older maps.
o Other
 Occasionally other colors may be used to show special information.
As a rule, these are indicated in the marginal information
2. Identify Terrain Features on a Map
 5 Major Terrain Features: hill, valley, ridge, saddle, depression
 3 Minor Terrain Features: draw, spur, cliff
 2 Supplementary Terrain Features: cut, fill
 Hill
o Represented by contour lines forming concentric circles.
o (use fist to help remember)
 Valley
 o Usually have a maneuver room and contain a stream or river.
o Depicted as contour lines forming a U – tend to parallel a stream before
crossing
o Contour line crossing a stream always point upstream
o (use open hand to visualize)
 Ridge
o Depicted a contour lines forming a U or V; the closed end of the contour
points away from high ground
o A series of connected hills
o (visualize as four knuckles of fist)
 Saddle
o Either lower ground between two hills or a break in a level crest
o Depicted as an hourglass
o (visualize as spaces bet. knuckles)
 Depression
o Depicted by closed contour lines that have tick marks pointing towards low
ground
o (visualize as open hand with palm cupped slightly)
 Draws
o Depicted as contour lines shaped like a V with the point of the V towards the
high ground of the draw
o (visualize as spaces bet. fingers running down from spaces bet. knuckles)
 Spurs
o Often formed by parallel streams cutting draws down a ridge.
o Depicted by U or V shaped contour lines with the U or V pointing away from
high ground
o (visualize as slopes of fingers running downhill from knuckles of fist)
 Cliff
o Depicted by contour lines drawn close together or by ticked or carrying
contour lines (ticks point to lower ground)
o (visualize as outside edge of fist)
 Supplementary
o Cut – man-made feature resulting from cutting through raised ground, usu.
to form a level bed for a road or railroad track; drawn with a contour line
along the cut line – extends the length of the cut and has tick marks that
extend from the cut line to the roadbed, if map scale permits this level of
detail
o Fill – man-made feature resulting from filling a low area, usu. to form a level
bed for a road or railroad track; drawn with a contour line along the fill line
– extends the length of the filled area and has tick marks that point toward
lower ground – length of fill tick mars drawn to scale and extend from the
base line of the fill symbol if map scale permits
3. Determine your location
  After determining where the terrain features on the ground and those on the map
coincide, determine the coordinates of your location using the coordinate scales and
protractor
4. Orient a map to the ground by terrain association
 Place compass along north/south grid lines, with the top of the compass pointing
toward the top of the map.
 Rotate map and compass together until compass points north – will ensure you’re
not on the opposite side of what you are looking at
 Adjust for declination according to the margin of the map
5. Determine the grid coordinates of a point on a military map
 Military map has vertical (T2B) and horizontal lines (L2R)
 Lines form small squares 1000 meters on each side called grid squares
 The lines that form grid squares are numbered along the outside edge of the map
picture
 NO two grid squares will have the same number
 Precision of grid coordinates
o Precision of a point location is shown by the number of digits in the
coordinates: four-digit grid coordinates (1000 m precision); six-digit (100
m); eight-digit (10 m); 10-digit (1 m)
 Eight-digit grid coordinate
o First, locate the grid square in which point is located
o Next, place coord scale on the bottom horizontal grid line and to the left side
of the grid square – both should be in at the bot left corner of the grid square
o To find coords, slide coord scale to the right until you match the vert scale
next to the point. Make sure to keep hor scale and hor grid line parallel and
lined up – where left grid line//vert scale crosses the hor scale is where you
get the hor scale//vert coord
 Determine two-letter 100000-meter-square identifier
o To det the correct one, look at the grid reference box in the margin of the
map
o When reporting across a 100000-meter line, prefix the 10000 meter square
identification in which the point lies
6. Determine elevation
 Contour Lines
o Connect a series of points of equal elevation and are used to illustrate
topography, or relief, on a map. They show the height of the ground
o Numerous contour lines that are close together indicate hilly or
mountainous terrain; when far apart, they represent gentler slope
 Contour Intervals
o Vertical distance between two contour lines
o Contour interval measurement, given in the map’s marginal info, is the
vertical distance between adjacent contour lines
o The numbered index contour lines state that particular line’s elevation.
  Determine elevation
o Find the numbered index contour line nearest the point
o Count the contour lines from the numbered line. This will tell you how many
intervals to add or subtract from the numbered index contour line.
 Hilltops and depressions
o Points at top of hills – add half the contour interval
o Points at the bottom of depressions – subtract half the contour interval
7. Determine azimuth
 Shooting an azimuth
o Use compass to determine or follow an azimuth
o Arrow on the compass points toward magnetic north – also attracted by any
mass of metal
o Lensatic compass must always be held level and firm when sighting on an
object and reading an azimuth
o Methods of holding and sighting: compass-to-cheek; center-hold method
 Compass-to-cheek
o Position eyepiece at a 45-deg angle to the base
o Place thumb through thumb loop, for a steady base with third and fourth
fingers, and extend index finger along side of compass base
o Bring both hands up to your face and position thumb that is through the
thumb loop against cheekbone
o Align sighting slot of eyepiece with the sighting wire in the cover on the
point for which the azimuth is being determined. Look through lens of
eyepiece and read the azimuth under the index line
 Center-hold
o Place thumb through loop, form steady base with 3rd and 4th finger, extend
index finger along side of compass
o Place thumb of other hand between eyepiece and lens, extend index finger
along remaining side of the other hand, pull elbows firmly into your side –
will place compass between chin and belt
o To measure azimuth, turn entire body toward the object and point the
compass cover directly at the object. Look down and read the azimuth from
beneath the fixed black index line
 Finding azimuth on a map
o Plot the points
o Use straight edge to draw a thin line bet both points
o Line must be lone enough to cross scale on protractor
o Place center of protractor over first point
o Look to see where your line crosses edge of protractor. (degree on inside,
mils on outside)
 Converting azimuths
o Use declination diagram
 Back azimuth
 o Heading somewhere then need to come back to where you started – use
back azimuth ---- numbers less than 180 – add; numbers greater than –
subtract
8. Determine distance
 Measuring distance
o Bar scale is a ruler printed on the map and is used to convert distances on
the map to actual ground distances
o Right of zero – full units of measure (primary scale); left of zero – scale
divided into tenths (extension scale)
 Using bar scales
o Align right side of measurement to the nearest thousands.
o On left side, count the hundreds
o Imagine one of the extension blocks into tenths and estimate which tenth
the left side is at
 Determine straight line distance
o Use edge from a piece of paper and mark distance bet two points
o Line paper up next to scale to determine distance
 Determine curved/road distance
o Break the curve into series of straight lines and measure from curve to curve
o To estimate more accurately, line up right side of your marks to nearest
thousand
o Can use extension scale to the left of the zero to be more precise
9. Intersection and resection
 Intersection method
o Used when two known (occupied) locations can see one unknown location
o Each known point shoots a magnetic azimuth to the unknown location, then
convert the magnetic to grid azimuths
o Grid azimuths are then lightly drawn on the map. Where the two lines
intersect is where the unknown location is found on the map
o One squad shoots an azimuth, another also shoots – draw grid azimuth
 Resection
o Used to locate your position on a map using at least two well defined
locations that can be pin-pointed on the map.
o Radio towers, wind mills and water towers are examples of easily
identifiable objects you could see on a map and from where you are standing
o Shoot azimuths to identifiable locations, convert mag az to grid az, calculate
back az, protractor to draw back azimuths
 Modified Resection
o Can easily determine where you are on the linear terrain feature (road,
railroad, stream, ridge, etc.)
o Shoot azimuth to an identifiable object which you can see and pinpoint on
map, convert mag az to grid az, convert to back az, protractor to draw