Shaded relief

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Shaded relief (also known as hillshading) is a technique of terrain representation used by cartographers to convey an impression of a landform by employing light and dark shading to highlight topographic features. The use of illumination and shadow to produce an appearance of three-dimensional space on a flat-surfaced map closely parallels the artistic element of chiaroscuro.

The technique has become more prevalent in recent decades as computer technologies such as Geographic Information Systems and Digital Elevation Models have made generation of shaded-relief maps a relatively simple process, particularly in comparison to the work of early masters (such as the Swiss cartographer Eduard Imhof) who shaded each feature manually using artistic skill.

Shaded-relief is commonly used on general interest maps, such as those produced by the National Park Service, since the technique is more easily comprehensible, and arguably more aesthetically appealing, than contour maps.