What does a colored contour line indicate regarding elevation?

A colored contour line provides visual cues about elevation changes across a landscape. Typically, color schemes are used in topographic maps and designs to help communicate the variation in elevation in an intuitive way.

When cool colors such as blues and greens are applied to contour lines, they usually represent lower elevations. This choice reflects the common mapping convention where cooler tones are associated with lower, potentially wetter areas, such as valleys or water bodies. In contrast, warm colors such as yellows, oranges, and reds tend to indicate higher elevations. These warm tones often represent hills or mountainous regions, enhancing the visual comprehension of the terrain's elevation.

Using color in this manner allows for quick visual assessments of topography while providing essential information about the landscape's features. Therefore, the choice that states cooler colors indicate low elevations and warmer colors indicate high elevations aligns with established practices in landscape architecture and cartography.