Elevation#Hypsography

A hypsografische curve ( AltGr ὕψος. Altitude, Hill ) illustrates the distribution of the different height levels of the earth's surface or any other surface.

Creating a hypsografischen curve

On the abscissa (horizontal axis), the surface is coated, on the ordinate (vertical axis), the height above sea level. From hypsografischen curve percentiles of height distribution can be read off.

Besides the hypsografischen curve for an entire planet are also regional curves of importance, eg for rivers, lakes and inland seas.

Examples

Earth

The hypsografische curve of the earth is approximately two height levels: the continental platform in the range of about 100 meters altitude, and the deep sea. In contrast to these large areas make the extremes of the high mountains and the deep sea trenches relatively little. Significantly, however, the curve shows a transition between the two main levels of continental levels and ocean floors - the slope of the continental shelf. A total of 29 % of the earth's surface are above sea level, so are land, of which less than 10 percent mountains with more than 1000 m altitude. On the other side are about 50 % of the earth's surface below -2000 m, and only 2% are deeper than -6000 m.

Switzerland

At the hypsografischen curve shown in this section can be read, for example, that less than 20 % of Switzerland deeper than 500 m above sea level.

Venus

Unlike the Earth, Venus has only one platform in the hypsografischen curve. This is a clear sign that there has never been on Venus oceans and the associated plate tectonics.

Mars

The Hypsografische curve of Mars, in contrast to Earth and Venus no clear platforms, but has in relation to the heights a reasonably uniform distribution of the surface percentages.