User:Buaidh/Elevation

This is a guide for using wikitext to properly display elevation. Elevation should most commonly be displayed in both meters (metres) and International feet, with metric elevation being displayed first for most areas, but elevation in feet displayed first for Liberia, the United States, or a U.S. territory. The International System of Units symbol "m" is usually preferred to either "meters" or "metres" spelled out. Feet may either be spelled out or use the standard symbol "ft". All elevations are now calculated from a geoid, so the outdated phrase "above mean sea level" should not be used.

Metric elevation
Metric elevation should be displayed first for areas not exclusively within the United States or Liberia.

Inline elevation

 * Precise inline elevations in meters can use wikitext like " " to display "an elevation of 312 m."
 * Less precise inline elevations in meters can use wikitext like " " to display "an elevation of 500 m."
 * To use an elevation in meters as an adverb, use wikitext like " " to display "the 4805.59 m summit."

Elevation in feet
Elevation in feet should be displayed first for areas solely within Liberia, the United States, or a U.S. territory.

Inline elevation

 * Inline elevations in feet (such as those from the GNIS) can use wikitext like " " to display "an elevation of 5280 ft."
 * Precise inline elevations in meters (such as those from the USGS) can use wikitext like " " to display "an elevation of 4401.2 m."
 * To use an elevation in feet as an adverb, use wikitext like " " to display "the 14271 ft summit."