Which feature is shown by closed contour lines with tick marks pointing toward low ground?

Which feature is shown by closed contour lines with tick marks pointing toward low ground?

• A. Valley
• B. Depression
• C. Ridge
• D. Saddle

Answer: (B)

Contours that form a closed loop with tick marks (hatch lines) on the inside indicate a depression. Those ticks point toward lower ground, so the center of the loop is lower than the surrounding terrain. This distinguishes it from a hill or ridge (which would have closed loops without inward ticks) and from a valley or saddle (which show different patterns like V-shaped contours or a low area between ridges). So the feature shown is a depression.

Contours that form a closed loop with tick marks (hatch lines) on the inside indicate a depression. Those ticks point toward lower ground, so the center of the loop is lower than the surrounding terrain. This distinguishes it from a hill or ridge (which would have closed loops without inward ticks) and from a valley or saddle (which show different patterns like V-shaped contours or a low area between ridges). So the feature shown is a depression.