Orange County NC Website
DocuSign Envelope ID: 2D970A62 -10C1- 4949 - 9224- E9F2ADB7D568 <br />APPENDIX C: TOPOGRAPHIC SITUATION DEFINITIONS <br />Listed below are definitions for the topographic situation categories used in Item 22, on page 2 of Archaeological Site Form V. <br />These definitions have been drawn primarily from the American Geological Institute's 1972 edition of the "Glossary of <br />Geology." <br />1 Undifferentiated floodplain: A surface (expanse) or strip of relatively level land adjacent to a stream or river. <br />2 Terrace remnant on floodplain: Section of an ancient dissected terrace now incorporated or surrounded by the present <br />floodplain. These terrace remnants generally will have a cross - section featuring one steep face articulating in a sharp <br />angle with the gently sloped back slope (wedge shaped). <br />3 Low rise on floodplain: Any major projection in a floodplain which is not a terrace or levee remnant. Examples would <br />include elevated meander scars, former islands from ancient channels, and rock outcrops. <br />4 Natural Levee: A long, broad, low ridge or embankment of sand and silt, built up by a stream on its floodplain and <br />channel banks. A typical cross - section would include a steep face or bank on the stream side of the levee and a <br />gentle backslope which grades into the floodplain surface. <br />5 Levee Remnant: A dissected remnant of levee occurring near an existent or ancient stream channel. Such remains may or <br />may not be in a floodplain. An example would be a former natural levee along a stream which has been segmented by <br />flood erosion. <br />6 1 st terrace: The first level surface in a stream valley above (if existent) the floodplain and more or less parallel to the <br />stream channel. The first terrace may represent the only terrace or may be the lowest (in elevation) of a series of <br />terraces in a streamvalley. <br />7 2nd terrace: Terrace, as described above, which exists above the 1st terrace and below the thirdterrace. <br />8 3rd terrace: Terrace, as described above, which exists above both the 1 st and 2nd terraces. Should there be more than <br />three terraces (e.g., 4th terrace, 5th terrace) they should be coded as 3rd terrace and not 4th or 5th. <br />9 Sand dune: A low mound, ridge, band, or hill of loose sand piled or heaped up by the wind, commonly found along <br />seashores and more rarely along the borders of large lakes or river valleys. <br />10 Upland or talus slope: An often steep, concave slope formed by the accumulation of loose rock fragments and soil <br />(generally) at the base of a cliff or steep slope. This may be referred to as the foot of a mountain - the integration of a <br />mountain or hill with the surrounding topography. <br />11 Upland flats: Also called upland plains. These consist of a relatively level area of land lying in the inland areas of North <br />Carolina. <br />12 Hill or ridgetop: A hill is defined as a natural elevation of the land surface rising rather prominently above the <br />surrounding land, usually of limited extent and having a well - defined outline (rounded rather than peaked or rugged) <br />and is generally considered to be less than 300 meters (1000 feet) from base to summit. A ridgetop refers to the top of <br />a long, narrow elevation of the earth's surface usually with steep sides, occurring either as an independent hill or as <br />part of a larger mountain or hill. A steep -sided upland between valleys or a valley and mountain (hill) is also defined <br />as a ridge. <br />13 Saddle (between ridge or hilltops): A level ridge connecting two higher elevations. A saddle typically is a small flat area <br />with two upslopes in opposite directions and two downslopes at right angles to the upslopes. <br />OSA Site Form Handbook Version VII, Page 13 <br />