Depending on the military mission, soldiers may need to
determine not only the height of a hill, but the degree of
the hill's slope as well. The rate of rise or fall of a terrain
feature is known as its slope. The speed at which
equipment or personnel can move is affected by the slope
of the ground or terrain feature. This slope can be
determined from the map by studying the contour
lines—the closer the contour lines, the steeper the slope;
the farther apart the contour lines, the gentler the slope.
Four types of slopes that concern the military are as
follows: