Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cartographic Relief Presentation Revisited – Forty Years after Eduard Imhof

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Landform - Structure, Evolution, Process Control

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences ((LNEARTH,volume 115))

Abstract

Topographic maps represent in a symbolised way the main features of the Earth’s surface shape as well as the major, mostly visible objects covering the topography. The clear and readable depiction of the relief is one of the main challenges in topographic cartography. The Swiss cartographer Eduard Imhof had a significant influence on the development of modern topographic cartography. He published his trend-setting findings 40 years ago in his textbook “Cartographic Relief Presentation”. This overview paper reviews his major contributions to topographic cartography and presents today’s state of cartographic relief depiction, illustrated by current map examples and projects elaborated at Imhof’s Alma Mater, the Institute of Cartography of ETH Zurich.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Brassel K (1974) Modelle und Versuche zur automatischen Schräglichtschattierung. PhD thesis, University of Zurich

    Google Scholar 

  • Buckley A, Hurni L, Kriz K, Patterson T, Olsenholler J (2004) Cartography and visualisation in mountain geomorphology. In: Bishop MP, Shroder JF (eds.) Geographic Information Science and Mountain Geomorphology. Springer-Praxis, Chichester, 253–287

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimm W (1993) Eine neue Kartengraphik für das digitale kartographische Modell “ATKIS-DKM 25”. Kartographische Nachrichten 43:61–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrmann C (1972) Studie zu einer naturähnlichen topographischen Karte 1:500,000. PhD thesis, University of Zurich

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurni L (1989) Verschiedene Felsdarstellungen für Gebirgskarten 1:25,000. Thesis, ETHZ

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurni L (1995) Modellhafte Arbeitsabläufe zur digitalen Erstellung von topographischen und geologischen Karten und dreidimensionalen Visualisierungen. PhD thesis, ETH Zurich

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurni L, Dahinden T, Hutzler E (2001) Digital Cliff Drawing for Topographic Maps – Traditional Representations by Means of New Technologies. Cartographica 38:55–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Imhof E (editions 1950 and 1968) Gelände und Karte. Eugen Rentsch Verlag, Erlenbach/Zurich

    Google Scholar 

  • Imhof E (1951) Terrain et carte. Eugen Rentsch Verlag, Erlenbach/Zurich

    Google Scholar 

  • Imhof E (1965) Kartographische Geländedarstellung. DeGruyter, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Imhof E (1972) Thematische Kartographie. DeGruyter, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Imhof E (1974) Die grossen kalten Berge von Szetschuan. Orell Füssli, Zurich

    Google Scholar 

  • Imhof E (1979) Die Bemühungen um neue topographische Karten der Schweiz. Die Alpen 55 (I/79):17–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Imhof E (1982) Cartographic Relief Presentation. DeGruyter, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Imhof V (1990) Eduard Imhof, ein Leben mit Landkarten. Schweizer Pioniere der Wirtschaft und Technik 50. Verein für wirtschaftshistorische Studien, Meilen

    Google Scholar 

  • Imhof E (2007) Cartographic Relief Presentation (reprint). ESRI Press, Redmond

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenny B (2000) Computergestützte Schattierung in der Kartografie. Thesis, ETHZ/EPFL

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenny B (2001) An Interactive Approach to Analytical Relief Shading. Cartographica 38:67–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenny B, Hurni L (2006) Swiss-Style Colour Relief Shading Modulated by Elevation and by Exposure to Illumination. The Cartographic Journal 43:198–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moellering H, Kimerling AJ (1990) A New Digital Slope-Aspect Display Process. Cartography and Geographic Information Science 31:67–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Schertenleib U (1997) Fridolin Becker (1854–1922): Topograph, Kartograph, Innovator. Cartographica Helvetica 15:3–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Spiess E (2006) Schweizer Weltatlas – Atlas Mondial Suisse – Atlante Mondiale Svizzera. Kantonaler Lehrmittelverlag, Zurich

    Google Scholar 

  • swisstopo (1996) Richtlinien der TopoKarto für die kartographische Bearbeitung der Landeskarte 1:25,000, 1:50,000 und 1:100,000. swisstopo, Wabern

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoëli P (1959) Relief Shading. Surveying and Mapping 19:229–232

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoëli P (1965) Analytical Hill Shading. Surveying and Mapping 25:573–579

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoëli P (1966) Analytical Hill Shading and Density. Surveying and Mapping 26:253–259

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoëli P (1967) The Mechanisation of Analytical Hill Shading. The Cartographic Journal 4:82–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoëli P (1967a) Die Richtung des Lichtes bei analytischer Schattierung. Kartographische Nachrichten 17:37–44

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut f. Kartographie, ETH-Hönggerberg, Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 15, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland

    Lorenz Hurni

Authors
  1. Lorenz Hurni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lorenz Hurni .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst. Geographie, Universität Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, Salzburg, 5020, Austria

    Jan-Christoph Otto

  2. Geographische Institut, Universität Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 172, Bonn, 53115, Germany

    Richard Dikau

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Hurni, L. (2009). Cartographic Relief Presentation Revisited – Forty Years after Eduard Imhof. In: Otto, JC., Dikau, R. (eds) Landform - Structure, Evolution, Process Control. Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences, vol 115. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-75761-0_1

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation