When contour lines are widely spaced at the top of the feature and closely spaced at the bottom, the slope is considered _______.

When contour lines are widely spaced at the top of a feature and closely spaced at the bottom, it indicates a specific type of slope known as a convex slope. A convex slope gradually steepens, which is represented in the contour lines by the spacing: as you move from the top of the feature downwards, the lines become closer together, signifying an increase in steepness.

This characteristic is particularly important in topographical maps because it helps in understanding the terrain and assessing the difficulty of navigating or traversing an area. In contrast, options describing concave or varied slopes would show different contour patterns, with concave slopes represented by closely spaced lines at the top and widening towards the bottom. Therefore, identifying the convex nature of the slope through the contour lines is essential for interpreting elevation changes accurately.