1. What is Vertical Exaggeration?

Vertical Exaggeration (VE) is the ratio between the horizontal scale and vertical scale in a cross-section or topographic profile. It's used to emphasize vertical features that might otherwise be too subtle to see clearly.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Vertical Exaggeration equation:

Where:

• \( horizontal\_scale \) — The horizontal scale ratio (dimensionless)
• \( vertical\_scale \) — The vertical scale ratio (dimensionless)

Explanation: The equation calculates how many times the vertical scale is exaggerated compared to the horizontal scale.

3. Importance of VE Calculation

Details: Vertical exaggeration is crucial in geology, cartography, and engineering to properly visualize and interpret topographic features and geological structures.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both horizontal and vertical scales as dimensionless ratios (e.g., 1:1000 would be entered as 1000). Both values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a typical VE value?
A: Common VE values range from 2× to 10×, depending on the purpose. Higher values make subtle features more visible.

Q2: When is VE not needed?
A: When the natural proportions of features are important for accurate interpretation, like in engineering drawings.

Q3: How does VE affect interpretation?
A: High VE makes slopes appear steeper and vertical features more prominent, which can distort perception of true relationships.

Q4: Can VE be less than 1?
A: Yes, this would mean vertical compression (vertical scale is larger than horizontal scale), though this is rarely used.

Q5: How is VE used in seismic interpretation?
A: In seismic sections, VE helps visualize subtle stratigraphic features that would be hard to see at natural scale.