This is a list of places below mean sea level that are on land.
Places artificially created such as tunnels, mines, basements, and dug holes, or places under water, or existing temporarily as a result of ebbing of sea tide etc., are not included. Places where seawater and rainwater is pumped away are included. Fully natural places below sea level require a dry climate; otherwise, rain would exceed evaporation and fill the area.
All figures are in meters below sea level, arranged by depth, lowest first:
Africa
| # | Name | Country | Depth | Notes / references |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Assal | Djibouti | −153 m (−502 ft) | in Afar Depression: lowest land in Africa |
| 2 | Qattara Depression | Egypt | −133 m (−436 ft) | |
| 3 | Denakil Depression | Ethiopia | −125 m (−410 ft) | in Afar Depression |
| 4 | Sebkha Tah | Western Sahara | −55 m (−180 ft) | in the Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra region |
| 5 | Sabkhat Ghuzayyil | Libya | −47 m (−154 ft) | |
| 6 | Lake Moeris | Egypt | −43 m (−141 ft) | |
| 7 | Chott Melrhir | Algeria | −40 m (−131 ft) | |
| 8 | Shatt al Gharsah | Tunisia | −17 m (−56 ft) | |
| 9 | Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha | Mauritania | −5 m (−16 ft) |
Antarctica
| # | Name | Country | Depth | Notes / references |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Byrd Glacier | −2,780 m (−9,121 feet) | [1] | |
| 2 | Deep Lake, Vestfold Hills | −50 m (−164 ft) | ||
| 3 | canyon under Denman Glacier | bedrock is at −3,500 m (−11,500 ft) | This is the lowest natural point on land.[2][3] |
Asia
| # | Name | Country | Depth | Notes / references |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dead Sea | Jordan – West Bank – Israel | −430 m (−1,411 ft) | lowest land in Asia and the world 31°30′N 35°30′E / 31.500°N 35.500°E in Jordan valley, Israel – West Bank – Jordan |
| 2 | Allenby Bridge | Jordan - West Bank | −381 m (−1,250 ft) | lowest fixed water crossing in the world 31°52′27″N 35°32′27″E / 31.87417°N 35.54083°E in Jordan valley, Israel – West Bank – Jordan |
| 3 | Neot HaKikar | Israel | −345 m (−1,132 ft) | Israeli town just south of the Dead Sea. 30°55′59.15″N 35°22′36.11″E / 30.9330972°N 35.3766972°E in Jordan valley, Israel – West Bank – Jordan |
| 4 | Jericho | West Bank | −258 m (−846 ft) | lowest city in the world 31°51′N 35°28′E / 31.85°N 35.46°E in Jordan valley, Israel – West Bank – Jordan |
| 5 | Sea of Galilee | Israel | −214 m (−702 ft) | 32°48′N 35°36′E / 32.80°N 35.60°E Jordan valley, Israel – West Bank – Jordan |
| 6 | Tiberias | Israel | −207 m (−679 ft) | 32°47′48″N 35°32′09″E / 32.7966°N 35.535717°E Jordan valley, Israel – West Bank – Jordan |
| 7 | Turfan Depression | China | −154 m (−505 ft) | [4] |
| 8 | Caspian Depression, Karagiye | Kazakhstan | −138 m (−453 ft) | Caspian Basin |
| 9 | Bet She'an | Israel | −122 m (−400 ft) | 32°30′N 35°30′E / 32.50°N 35.50°E (between Tiberias and Jericho) in Jordan valley, Israel – West Bank – Jordan |
| 10 | Caspian Sea and its shores | Russia – Kazakhstan – Azerbaijan – Iran – Turkmenistan | −28 m (−92 ft) | Caspian Basin |
| 11 | Hachirōgata | Japan | −4 m (−13 ft) | |
| 12 | Kuttanad | India | −2 m (−7 ft) |
Europe
)
)
Areas of the Netherlands located below sea level (right) compared to dry land (left).
| # | Name | Country | Depth | Notes / references |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1= | Caspian Sea and its shores | Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kazakhstan | −28 m (−92 ft) | Caspian Depression |
| 1= | Baku | Azerbaijan | −28 m (−92 ft) | lowest lying national capital in the world, Caspian Depression |
| 3 | Atyrau Airport | Kazakhstan | −22 m (−72 ft) | lowest international airport, Caspian Depression |
| 4= | Lammefjord | Denmark | −7 m (−23 ft) | |
| 4= | Zuidplaspolder | Netherlands | −7 m (−23 ft) | Netherlands coastal provinces (−1 to −7 m) (−3 to −23 ft) |
| 6 | Haarlemmermeer | Netherlands | −5 m (−16 ft) | Netherlands coastal provinces (−1 to −7 m) (−3 to −23 ft) |
| 7= | Amsterdam Schiphol Airport | Netherlands | −4 m (−13 ft) | Netherlands coastal provinces (−1 to −7 m) (−3 to −23 ft) |
| 7= | Wieringermeer | Netherlands | −4 m (−13 ft) | Netherlands coastal provinces (−1 to −7 m) (−3 to −23 ft) |
| 7= | Flevoland | Netherlands | −4 m (−13 ft) | Netherlands coastal provinces (−1 to −7 m) (−3 to −23 ft) |
| 7= | Neuendorf-Sachsenbande | Germany | −4 m (−13 ft) | |
| 11 | Le Contane, Jolanda di Savoia | Italy | −3.44 m (−11.3 ft) | |
| 12= | parts of West Flanders | Belgium | −3 m (−10 ft) | |
| 12= | North Slob, County Wexford | Ireland | −3 m (−10 ft) | |
| 14 | The Fens | United Kingdom | −2.75 m (−9 ft) | |
| 15= | Étang de Lavalduc | France | −2 m (−7 ft) | |
| 15= | Amsterdam | Netherlands | −2 m (−7 ft) | Netherlands coastal provinces (−1 to −7 m) (−3 to −23 ft) |
| 15= | Kristianstad | Sweden | −2 m (−7 ft) | |
| 15= | Żuławy Wiślane | Poland | −2 m (−7 ft) | Baltic delta of the Vistula River |
North America
)
Sea level sign (2/3 of the way up the cliff face) above Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, USA
| # | Name | Country | Depth | Notes / references |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Badwater Basin, Death Valley, California | United States | −85 m (−279 ft) | lowest point in North America |
| 2 | Bombay Beach, California | United States | −69 m (−226 ft) | Salton Sink −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 3 | Salton Sea Beach, California | United States | −67 m (−220 ft) | Salton Sink −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 4 | Desert Shores, California | United States | −61 m (−200 ft) | Salton Sink −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 5 | Calipatria, California | United States | −56 m (−184 ft) | Salton Sink −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 6 | Westmorland, California | United States | −48 m (−157 ft) | Salton Sink −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 7 | Lake Enriquillo | Dominican Republic | −46 m (−151 ft) | lowest place on an island country. |
| 8 | Niland, California | United States | −43 m (−141 ft) | Salton Sink −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 9 | Salton City, California | United States | −38 m (−125 ft) | Salton Sink, −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 10= | Brawley, California | United States | −37 m (−121 ft) | Salton Sink, −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 10= | Thermal, California | United States | −37 m (−121 ft) | Salton Sink, −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 12 | Coachella, California | United States | −22 m (−72 ft) | Salton Sink, −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 13 | Imperial, California | United States | −18 m (−59 ft) | Salton Sink, −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 14 | Seeley, California | United States | −13 m (−43 ft) | Salton Sink, −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 15 | El Centro, California | United States | −12 m (−39 ft) | Salton Sink, −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 16 | Laguna Salada, Baja California | Mexico | −10 m (−33 ft) | |
| 17 | Indio, California | United States | −6 m (−20 ft) | Salton Sink, −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 18 | Heber, California | United States | −5 m (−16 ft) | Salton Sink, −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 19 | Holtville, California | United States | −3 m (−10 ft) | Salton Sink, −66 m (−217 ft) |
| 20 | New Orleans, Louisiana | United States | −2 m (−7 ft) |
Oceania
| # | Name | Country | Depth | Notes / references |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Eyre | Australia | −16 m (−52 ft) | lowest land in Australia |
| 2 | Lake Frome | Australia | −6 m (−20 ft) | |
| 3 | Taieri Plain | New Zealand | −2 m (−7 ft) | lowest land in New Zealand |
South America
| # | Name | Country | Depth | Notes / references |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laguna del Carbón | Argentina | −105 m (−344 ft) | lowest land in the Americas |
| 2 | Bajo del Gualicho, Río Negro province | Argentina | −72 m (−236 ft) | |
| 3 | Salina Grande and Salina Chica, Valdés Peninsula, Chubut Province | Argentina | −42 m (−138 ft) | |
| 4 | Sechura Depression, Sechura Desert, Piura Region | Peru | −34 m (−112 ft) | |
| 5 | Georgetown, Guyana | Guyana | −2 m (−7 ft) |
Historic and ice-covered areas
Deeper and larger than any of the trenches in the list above is the Bentley Subglacial Trench in Antarctica, at a depth of 2,540 m (8,330 ft). It is subglacial, covered permanently by the largest glacier in the world. Therefore, it is not included in any list on the page. If the ice melted it would be covered by sea.
The biggest dry land area below sea level that has been known to exist during the geological past, as measured by continuous volume of atmospheric air below sea level, was the dry bed of the Mediterranean Sea of the late Miocene period during the Messinian salinity crisis.
See also
- Extreme points of Earth
- List of countries by lowest point
- List of submarine topographical features
References
- ^ "News Story – Bedmap2 gives scientists a more detailed view of Antarctica's landmass". News Story – Bedmap2 gives scientists a more detailed view of Antarctica’s landmass. NERC BASS. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ^ Jonathan Amos (December 12, 2019). "Denman Glacier: Deepest point on land found in Antarctica". BBC. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
- ^ Mathieu Morlighem; Eric Rignot; Tobias Binder; Donald Blankenship; Reinhard Drews; Graeme Eagles; Olaf Eisen; Fausto Ferraccioli; René Forsberg; Peter Fretwell; Vikram Goel; Jamin S. Greenbaum; Hilmar Gudmundsson; Jingxue Guo; Veit Helm; Coen Hofstede; Ian Howat; Angelika Humbert; Wilfried Jokat; Nanna B. Karlsson; Won Sang Lee; Kenichi Matsuoka; Romain Millan; Jeremie Mouginot; John Paden; Frank Pattyn; Jason Roberts; Sebastian Rosier; Antonia Ruppel; Helene Seroussi; Emma C. Smith; Daniel Steinhage; Bo Sun; Michiel R. van den Broeke; Tas D. van Ommen; Melchior van Wessem; Duncan A. Young (2019-12-12). "Deep glacial troughs and stabilizing ridges unveiled beneath the margins of the Antarctic ice sheet". Nature Geoscience. 13 (2): 132–137. doi:10.1038/s41561-019-0510-8. S2CID 209331991. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
- ^ Scheffel, Richard L.; Wernet, Susan J., eds. (1980). Natural Wonders of the World. United States of America: Reader's Digest Association, Inc. p. 378. ISBN 0-89577-087-3.
External links
- "Interactive Sea Level Elevation Map". floodmap.net.
- "Adjustable Sealevel Map". flood.firetree.net.
- "Land Below Sea Level". geology.com.