Which contour pattern represents a saddle?

• A. Hourglass
• B. Tick marks extending to roadbed
• C. Concentric circles
• D. U or V shaped pointing toward high ground

Answer: (A)

A saddle shows up on a topographic map as an hourglass-shaped pattern. This reflects a low point between two higher areas—two ridges with a pass between them. The contour lines pinch in the middle where the elevation is lowest and then flare outward again on either side as they wrap around the adjacent high ground. That distinctive hourglass shape is what identifies a saddle.

Concentric circles indicate a single high point like a hill or mountain, so that pattern wouldn’t be a saddle. A V-shaped contour that points toward higher ground marks a valley or drainage, not a saddle between two highs. The tick-mark description isn’t a standard contour pattern for a saddle, so it doesn’t fit the expected shape either.