What is a contour level?

• A. The color of contour lines
• B. The vertical distance between contour lines
• C. The number of contour lines
• D. The map scale

Answer: (B)

Contour level describes the vertical spacing between contour lines on a map. Contour lines connect points of equal elevation, and the elevation difference from one line to the next is the contour interval, the measure you use to read how much elevation changes between lines. This spacing tells you how steep the terrain is—lines spaced closely together indicate steeper slopes, while lines farther apart indicate gentler slopes. The color of the lines, the total number of lines, or the map scale don’t determine this spacing, so the description that fits best is the vertical distance between contour lines.