What is the lowest point in the United States?

What is the lowest point in the United States?

• A. Mount Whitney
• B. Death Valley
• C. Badwater Basin
• D. Crater Lake

Answer: (B)

Elevation relative to sea level is the idea here. The United States’ lowest land surface is Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, about 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level. That means Death Valley is the region where the minimum elevation occurs, so choosing Death Valley points to the location that contains the lowest point. The other options aren’t about the minimum elevation: Mount Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous U.S., Crater Lake sits well above sea level, and Badwater Basin is the exact spot within Death Valley that reaches the minimum elevation.

Elevation relative to sea level is the idea here. The United States’ lowest land surface is Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, about 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level. That means Death Valley is the region where the minimum elevation occurs, so choosing Death Valley points to the location that contains the lowest point. The other options aren’t about the minimum elevation: Mount Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous U.S., Crater Lake sits well above sea level, and Badwater Basin is the exact spot within Death Valley that reaches the minimum elevation.