# Land below sea level **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 2, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/land-below-sea-level/319735 "2005-09-02T14:13:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/land-below-sea-level/319735/1 "2005-09-02T14:13:36Z")
Where could such catastrophc flooding occur elsewhere? This might be a significant problem if, as has been asserted, global warming has much to do with weather systems recently, and rising sdea levels. We’ve discussed the Netherlands recently on this Board. Here are other spots below sea level. I’m surprised at how much the history of The Fens in the UK (which I’d never heard of before) matches that of New Orleans: > **[List of places on land with elevations below sea level](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_places_on_land_with_elevations_below_sea_level)** > > 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, lowes... ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/land-below-sea-level/319735/2 "2005-09-02T17:03:25Z")
IIRC, the Salton Sea in Southern California used to be dry. Again, IIRC it got filled by an “oops” during an early attempt to suppliment LA’s water supply. Death Valley is significantly below sea level as well. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/land-below-sea-level/319735/3 "2005-09-02T17:21:07Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > IIRC, the Salton Sea in Southern California used to be dry. Again, IIRC it got filled by an “oops” during an early attempt to suppliment LA’s water supply. > > Death Valley is significantly below sea level as well. Salton Sea is below sea level and has flooded a few times in its history. The most recent was around 1905 when a canal broke and filled the hole. Death Valley is the lowest dry point below sea level in the world, but not much a of flood risk there as there is not much water around and it’s surrounded by mountains. Much of the Sacramento River Delta is below sea level and the land exists by virtue of an extensive levee system. If it flooded, lots of prime agricultural land would be wiped out. The levees do break now & then, causing localized flooding of some of the islands and plains. There has been a big push for levee repair recently because, even though the city of Sacramento was raised 15 feet by infill after flooding in the late 1800’s, it is still at risk if the levees go. [As an aside, one sad part is that many of Sacramento’s original sidewalks became an underground network of tunnels during the infill project. Many of the original storefronts are now basements and the old second-story of a building became the ground floor. The tunnels and storefronts are now being ripped apart by new construction projects. I would think they could build new construction but leave the tunnels and some of the old underground storefronts alone and use them as a tourist attraction.] ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/land-below-sea-level/319735/4 "2005-09-02T17:44:29Z")
> [@](#): > > [As an aside, one sad part is that many of Sacramento’s original sidewalks became an underground network of tunnels during the infill project. Many of the original storefronts are now basements and the old second-story of a building became the ground floor. The tunnels and storefronts are now being ripped apart by new construction projects. I would think they could build new construction but leave the tunnels and some of the old underground storefronts alone and use them as a tourist attraction.] Sounds like Underground Seattle. Thanks. I wasn’t aware of Sacramento at all. ---
**Author:** ![Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bag_of_mostly_water/32/1029_2.png) [@Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bag_of_Mostly_Water)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/land-below-sea-level/319735/5 "2005-09-02T18:06:14Z")
Death Valley is the third lowest point on the earth. The Dead Sea is the lowest. Death Valley is the lowest point in the Americas. [Cite](http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa030998.htm).