What are two kinds of topographical features indicated by contour patterns?

• A. Hills, saddles
• B. Plateaus, basins
• C. Valleys, ridges
• D. Canyons, mesas

Answer: (A)

Contour lines encode elevation and the shape of the land. A hill is shown by closed, roughly concentric contour loops, with elevation increasing toward the center. A saddle is a low point between two higher areas, where the contour lines dip between two ridges, often forming an elongated notch that points toward the higher ground.

These two patterns are especially diagnostic on a map: the closed loops clearly indicate rising terrain to a peak, while the saddle pattern shows a gentle pass between two ridges. Together they capture a pair of common, easily recognizable landforms that contour patterns reveal directly. Other pairings describe different landforms as well, but hills and saddles provide the clearest, complementary examples of how contour lines convey both high ground and the connecting low terrain.