Bathymetric maps show depth below sea level.

• A. They show land elevations
• B. They show depth below sea level
• C. They show political boundaries
• D. They show rainfall patterns

Answer: (B)

Bathymetric maps reveal how deep the ocean floor is beneath the surface, mapping depth below sea level across the seafloor. They use a depth scale, often with color or contour lines, to show where trenches, ridges, and plains lie. This is the opposite of land-elevation maps, which show how high land rises above sea level. Political boundary maps focus on borders, while rainfall pattern maps depict precipitation distribution. So describing bathymetric maps as showing depth below sea level captures exactly what they illustrate.