Death Valley's Badwater Basin is North America's point of lowest elevation at how many feet below sea level?

The story behind the answer

Badwater Basin in California’s Death Valley sits 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level, making it the lowest point in North America. This depression formed through tectonic stretching in the Basin and Range Province, which creates down-dropping basins. Intense heat and aridity cause water to evaporate quickly, leaving behind striking salt flats and a small, undrinkable pool—hence “Badwater.”

Fun context: Just about 100 miles away rises Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous U.S. at 14,505 feet. That extreme vertical contrast in such a short distance helps explain Death Valley’s fierce heat,