nonrelief

Nonrelief is a geographic term describing landscapes with little topographic variation. It refers to areas where the vertical difference between the highest and lowest points within a specified area is small, resulting in flat or gently rolling terrain. The label is scale-dependent; a region may be nonrelief at a continental scale but exhibit relief locally around rivers or hills.

Geographic use: In geomorphology and cartography, nonrelief contrasts with relief and is commonly applied to plains, floodplains, and lowland regions such as large continental interiors and coastal plains. It implies limited occurrence of cliffs, escarpments, or rugged terrain.

Cartography and GIS: Nonrelief maps emphasize planimetric features and omit or downplay elevation. When relief is depicted, it is often minimized with shading or color ramps; nonrelief representation may use flat color schemes for elevation-independent displays.

Implications: Terrain with low relief influences drainage patterns, soil development, wind and microclimates, and land use. It can affect infrastructure planning, agriculture, and valuation.

Measurement and classification: Relief is quantified by elevation range, standard deviation of elevation, slope, and ruggedness indices; nonrelief is characterized by small values relative to the scale. The term is not universally standardized, and some scholars prefer terms like low-relief or flat-terrain.

See also: relief (geography), planimetric map, hypsometric tinting, rugosity.