A saddle is depicted on a map by which contour pattern?

• A. Concentric circles
• B. U or V shapes
• C. Tick marks
• D. Hourglass

Answer: (D)

Contour lines connect points of equal elevation, and at a saddle the elevation is higher on two opposite sides (the ridges) but lower in the middle. This causes the surrounding contours to bend away from the saddle in two directions and pinch together in the center, creating an hourglass or butterfly-like pattern. This shape is unique to saddles, unlike a hill, which would show concentric circles around a high point, or a valley/ridge, which produce a U or V pattern. Tick marks indicate depressions, not saddles. So the hourglass contour pattern directly signals a saddle on the map.