What is the actual definition of "feet above sea level"?

Answer 1

Well if you are on a boat and say from the deck to the water is 3 feet. You are 3 feet above sea level. Oceanic speaking of coarse, lakes dont count. It is very litteral. But it is actually measured by the average between high and low tide."mean sea level".

By the way I am currently 8,996 feet above sea level.

Answer 2

It really depends on where you are and what data you are looking at. If you are in the UK, looking at an ordnance survey map (it would have to be pretty old to be in feet) then it would be height above the calculated mean sea level as averaged out over insanely long times from measurements made using a single reference gauge in Newquay. They used this for all the ordnance survey maps and for those little surveying blobs that they put on mountains. If you took a good GPS receiver up one of those mountains then you would get an altitude reading which was referenced to one of the internationally agreed geoid models (it's pretty close to mean sea level ). If you are looking at an old map of Canada and wondering how close to the beach you might be for different amounts of global warming then it was probably referenced to the 1924 Canadian Geoid set but I _think_ that new maps are using the 1984 global survey.


Best of luck - Mike

Answer 3

I believe it's Mean sea level that's the point between the high and low tide

Answer 4

just that -- feet above the mean (average) sea level. i.e. the mean level of the ocean taking into account averaging of high and low tides.

Answer 5

I ttthhhhiiiiiiiiiinnnnkkk they mean from MIDTIDE, the midpoint between high & low tide.

Answer 6

It's a pretty literal statement

Answer 7

Feet...feet  /fit/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[feet] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun 1. a pl. of foot.
—Idioms2. drag one's feet, to act or proceed slowly or without enthusiasm; to be reluctant to act, comply, etc.: We can't begin the project until the steering committee stops dragging its feet.
3. on one's feet, a. in a standing position.
b. in an independent or secure position: The loan helped him get on his feet again.
c. in a restored or recovered state; able to continue: Psychotherapy helped her get back on her feet after her breakdown.

4. sit at the feet of, to attend upon as a disciple or follower: American writers and painters no longer sit at the feet of Europeans.
5. stand on one's own feet, a. to be financially self-supporting.
b. to be independent: Overprotective parents do not prepare their children to stand on their own feet.
Also, stand on one's own two feet.
6. sweep one off one's feet, to impress or overwhelm by ability, enthusiasm, or charm: The gaiety of the occasion swept them off their feet

a‧bove  /əˈbʌv/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[uh-buhv] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–adverb 1. in, at, or to a higher place.
2. overhead, upstairs, or in the sky: My brother lives in the apartment above. A flock of birds circled above.
3. higher in rank, authority, or power: She was told to speak to the person above.
4. higher in quantity or number: books with 100 pages and above.
5. before or earlier, esp. in a book or other piece of writing; foregoing: the remark quoted above. Compare below (def. 6).
6. in or to heaven: gone to her eternal rest above.
7. Zoology. on the upper or dorsal side.
8. Theater. upstage. Compare below (def. 9).
9. higher than zero on the temperature scale: The temperature dropped to ten above this morning.
–preposition 10. in or to a higher place than; over: to fly above the clouds; the floor above ours.
11. more in quantity or number than; in excess of: all girls above 12 years of age; The weight is above a ton.
12. superior in rank, authority, or standing to: A captain is above a lieutenant.
13. not subject or liable to; not capable of (some undesirable action, thought, etc.): above suspicion; to be above bad behavior.
14. of too fine a character for: He is above such trickery.
15. rather than; in preference to: to favor one child above the other.
16. beyond, esp. north of: six miles above Baltimore.
17. Theater. upstage of.
–adjective 18. said, mentioned, or written above; foregoing: the above explanation.
–noun 19. something that was said, mentioned, or written above: to refer to the above.
20. the person or persons previously indicated: The above will all stand trial.
21. heaven: truly a gift from above.
22. a higher authority: an order from above.
—Idiom23. above all, most important of all; principally: charity above all.


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[Origin: bef. 900; ME above(n) (Cf. aboon), OE abufan, onbufan (a-1, on + bufan above (c. D boven), equiv. to b(e) by + ufan, c. OFris uva, OS oban(a), OHG obana, G oben, ON ofan above; akin to over); see up; cf. about for formation]


—Usage note Above as an adjective (the above data) or as a noun (study the above) referring to what has been mentioned earlier in a piece of writing has long been standard. A few critics object to these uses in general writing, believing that they are more appropriate in business or technical contexts; they occur, however, in all kinds of edited writing.


sea  /si/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[see] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun 1. the salt waters that cover the greater part of the earth's surface.
2. a division of these waters, of considerable extent, more or less definitely marked off by land boundaries: the North Sea.
3. one of the seven seas; ocean.
4. a large lake or landlocked body of water.
5. the degree or amount of turbulence of the ocean or other body of water, as caused by the wind.
6. the waves.
7. a large wave: The heavy seas almost drowned us.
8. a widely extended, copious, or overwhelming quantity: a sea of faces; a sea of troubles.
9. the work, travel, and shipboard life of a sailor: The sea is a hard life but a rewarding one.
10. Astronomy. mare3.
–adjective 11. of, pertaining to, or adapted for use at sea.
—Idioms12. at sea, a. on the ocean.
b. perplexed; uncertain: completely at sea as to how to answer the question.
Also, asea.
13. follow the sea, to pursue a nautical career: Many boys then dreamed of following the sea.
14. go to sea, a. to set out on a voyage.
b. to embark on a nautical career.

15. half seas over, Slang. partly or completely drunk: They came home at dawn, looking half seas over. Also, half-seas over.
16. put to sea, to embark on a sea voyage: The expedition is nearly ready to put to sea. Also, put out to sea.


lev‧el  /ˈlɛvəl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[lev-uhl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation adjective, noun, verb, -eled, -el‧ing or (especially British) -elled, -el‧ling, adverb

–adjective 1. having no part higher than another; having a flat or even surface.
2. being in a plane parallel to the plane of the horizon; horizontal.
3. equal, as one thing with another or two or more things with one another.
4. even, equable, or uniform.
5. filled to a height even with the rim of a container: a level teaspoon of salt.
6. mentally well-balanced; sensible; rational: to keep a level head in a crisis.
–noun 7. a device used for determining or adjusting something to a horizontal surface.
8. Surveying. a. Also called surveyor's level. an instrument for observing levels, having a sighting device, usually telescopic, and capable of being made precisely horizontal.
b. an observation made with this instrument.
c. spirit level.

9. an imaginary line or surface everywhere at right angles to the plumb line.
10. the horizontal line or plane in which anything is situated, with regard to its elevation.
11. a horizontal position or condition.
12. an extent of land approximately horizontal and unbroken by irregularities.
13. a level or flat surface.
14. a position with respect to a given or specified height: The water rose to a level of 30 feet.
15. a position or plane in a graded scale of values; status; rank: His acting was on the level of an amateur. They associated only with those on their own economic level.
16. an extent, measure, or degree of intensity, achievement, etc.: a high level of sound; an average level of writing skill.
17. Linguistics. a major subdivision of linguistic structure, as phonology, morphology, or syntax, often viewed as hierarchically ordered. Compare component (def. 6a), stratum (def. 8).
18. Mining. the interconnected horizontal mine workings at a particular elevation or depth: There had been a cave-in on the 1500-foot level.
–verb (used with object) 19. to make (a surface) level, even, or flat: to level ground before building.
20. to raise or lower to a particular level or position; to make horizontal.
21. to bring (something) to the level of the ground: They leveled the trees to make way for the new highway.
22. Informal. to knock down (a person): He leveled his opponent with one blow.
23. to make equal, as in status or condition.
24. to make even or uniform, as coloring.
25. Historical Linguistics. (of the alternative forms of a paradigm) to reduce in number or regularize: Old English “him” (dative) and “hine” (accusative) have been leveled to Modern English “him.”
26. to aim or point (a weapon, criticism, etc.) at a mark or objective: He leveled his criticism at the college as a whole.
27. Surveying. to find the relative elevation of different points in (land), as with a level.
–verb (used without object) 28. to bring things or persons to a common level.
29. to aim a weapon, criticism, etc., at a mark or objective.
30. Surveying. a. to take a level.
b. to use a leveling instrument.

31. to speak truthfully and openly (often fol. by with): You're not leveling with me about your trip to Chicago.
32. Obsolete. to direct the mind, purpose, etc., at something.
–adverb 33. Obsolete. in a level, direct, or even way or line.
—Verb phrase34. level off, a. Aeronautics. to maintain a constant altitude after a climb or descent.
b. to become stable; reach a constant or limit.
c. to make even or smooth.

—Idioms35. one's level best, one's very best; one's utmost: We tried our level best to get here on time.
36. find one's or one's own level, to attain the place or position merited by one's abilities or achievements: He finally found his level as one of the directors of the firm.
37. on the level, Informal. honest; sincere; reliable: Is this information on the level?