A Surface chart (or 3D Surface plot) is a chart type used for finding the optimum combinations between two sets of data. As in a topographic map, the colors and patterns indicate the areas that are in the same range of values.

Why is it called a map?

The word “map” comes from the Medieval Latin Mappa mundi, wherein mappa meant napkin or cloth and mundi the world. Thus, “map” became the shortened term referring to a two-dimensional representation of the surface of the world.

What is a surface map used for?

Surface maps usually represent real-world entities such as landforms or the surfaces of objects. They can, however, serve as an abstraction where the third, or even all of the dimensions correspond to non-spatial data. In this capacity they act more as graphs than maps.