Elevation
- For other senses of this word, see elevation (disambiguation).
In geography, the elevation of a geographic location is its height above mean sea level (or some other fixed point). Elevation is mainly used when referring to points on the Earth itself, while altitude is used for points in the air, such as an aircraft. Less commonly, elevation is measured from the center of the Earth. Due to Equatorial Bulge, there is debate whether the summits of Mt. Everest or Mt. Chimborazo are at the higher elevation.
Determining Elevation
If you are reading a map from home, it is possible you may need to determine the elevation of some place. The main sort of map to use for this purpose is a topographical map. Learning to read a topographic map is relatively easy although assistance may be required for beginners.
If you are somewhere and want to find its elevation, you may also survey it. Questions often arise about where to measure elevation from. The elevation of a mountain usually refers to its summit. The elevation of a hill also refers to the summit. A valley's elevation is usually taken from the lowest point but is often taken all over the valley.
