Minecraft:Altitude

File:Altitude.png

Chart lining up Y-coordinate values (left) to block layers (right) (not to scale) in Java Edition.

Altitude is a measurement of vertical distance, or distance along the Y-axis.

Definition

Altitude is often expressed as the bottom face of a block layer, where the lowest block that can be placed is at layer -64 and has a Y-coordinate of -64. For instance, Minecraft:sea level is at layer 62, while Minecraft:clouds appear at layer 191.

This is not to be confused with altitude when otherwise expressed as the top face of a block layer, where the lowest block that can be placed is at layer -63 and has a Y-coordinate of -63. For example, sea level is at layer 63, while clouds appear at layer 192. This is akin to calling the ground level story the "first floor" (top face of a block layer), rather than the "ground floor" (bottom face of a block layer). The Minecraft:player can press Template:Key to see the Y-coordinate of the top face of a block they are on top of.Template:Only

Altitude expressed as the bottom face of a block layer is most useful for identifying the position of blocks, such as when using Template:Cmd to replace block(s). Expressing altitude as the top face of a block layer is more useful for identifying the position of entities, such as when using Template:Cmd to teleport or Template:Cmd to spawn an entity/entities. For instance, the topmost block of water in an Minecraft:ocean biome has a Y-coordinate of 62; in a frozen ocean biome, ice replaces water at sea level, and the lowest height where terrestrial mobs can spawn is at layer 63.

Features and effects by height

Y-coordinate	Feature or effect
Template:Sup (~1.7976931×Template:Sup)	Largest height Minecraft can distinguish from infinity, Java's Template:Cd.<ref name=":0">Template:Bug</ref>
36,028,797,018,963,968	Above this height, players cannot move vertically except using NBT editors.
4,503,599,627,370,496	Maximum height reachable by flying, the point where the Template:Cd datatype stops growing in steps of 0.5.
2,147,483,647	Template:IN, the game crashes above this point.Template:Main
30,000,000	Template:IN, players are kicked out of the world when above this height.Template:Dubious In Bedrock Edition, this is the maximum height players can teleport.
20,000,000	The maximum height the player can teleport to in Java Edition.
2,032	Top face of the highest block that can be placed in a Minecraft:Custom world generated with the maximum build height in Java Edition.
512	Top face of the highest block that can be placed in a Minecraft:void world generated with the maximum build height in Bedrock Edition.
356±8	At this height, Minecraft:rainfall transitions into Minecraft:snowfall in any Minecraft:biome.
320	Top face of the highest block that can be placed in the Minecraft:Overworld.
	Highest layer where Minecraft:coal ore can generate, replacing Minecraft:stone, Minecraft:granite, Minecraft:diorite and Minecraft:andesite.
	Above this height, rainfall always occurs during precipitation, no matter what biome is below.
256	Cap for naturally-generated terrain outside of Minecraft:Amplified worlds.
	Top face of the highest block that can be placed in Minecraft:the NetherTemplate:Only and Minecraft:the End.
255	Highest layer where Minecraft:dirt and Minecraft:gravel can generate, replacing Minecraft:stone, Minecraft:granite, Minecraft:diorite and Minecraft:andesite.<ref name="ores">https://gist.github.com/tryashtar/2a22bd04394275fefb6b49c348758fd6</ref>
191 to 195	Range of Minecraft:cloud layers.
127	Full Minecraft:bedrock layer in Minecraft:the Nether.
	Highest layer where Minecraft:nether quartz ore, Minecraft:nether gold ore and Minecraft:ancient debris can generate, replacing Minecraft:netherrack, Minecraft:basalt, and Minecraft:blackstone.<ref name="ores"/>
	In Bedrock Edition, this is the bottom face of the highest block that can be placed in the Nether.
123 to 126	Range of partial bedrock layers in the Nether.
121	No air can generate in this range in the Nether. Caves and ravines generating this high will have a flat ceiling.
79	Highest layer where Minecraft:gold ore within Minecraft:badlands biomes, Minecraft:granite, Minecraft:diorite and Minecraft:andesite can generate, replacing Minecraft:stone, Minecraft:granite, Minecraft:diorite and Minecraft:andesite.<ref name="ores"/>
75	All 20 Minecraft:end gateways on the main End island generate at this height.
50 to 70	Range of layers where Minecraft:slimes are able to spawn in Minecraft:swamps.
63	Highest layer where Minecraft:infested stone within Minecraft:mountains biomes, Minecraft:iron ore, and Minecraft:lapis lazuli ore can generate, replacing Minecraft:stone, Minecraft:granite, Minecraft:diorite and Minecraft:andesite.<ref name="ores"/>
62	Sea level.
	Minecraft:Phantoms only spawn if players are above this level.
56	Rooftop of Minecraft:ocean monuments always generates at this height in Bedrock Edition.
48	The Minecraft:End platform generates at this height
40	Highest layer where slimes are able to spawn within "Minecraft:slime chunks" outside of swamps.
36	Highest layer where Minecraft:gravel and Minecraft:blackstone can generate, replacing Minecraft:netherrack, Minecraft:basalt, and Minecraft:blackstone.<ref name="ores"/>
32	Below this altitude, the Overworld fogTemplate:Only or skyTemplate:Only gradually darken and the vignette slowly fades in Bedrock Edition.
31	Highest layer where Minecraft:gold ore outside of badlands biomes can generate, replacing Minecraft:stone, Minecraft:granite, Minecraft:diorite and Minecraft:andesite.
	Minecraft:Lava sea level in Minecraft:the Nether. Lava also replaces air below this height in carver caves and ravines in Java Edition.
15	Highest layer where Minecraft:redstone ore and Minecraft:diamond ore can generate, replacing Minecraft:stone, Minecraft:granite, Minecraft:diorite and Minecraft:andesite.<ref name="ores"/>
1 to 7	Partial layers of Minecraft:deepslate in the Minecraft:Overworld.
1 to 4	Partial layers of bedrock in the Nether.
0	Full bedrock layer in the Nether.
	Deepslate replaces stone below this layer.
	Some aquifers below this layer can be filled with lava instead of water.
	Bottom face of the lowest block that can be placed in the Nether and the End.
-12	In Bedrock Edition, the Minecraft:vignette suddenly reaches full intensity and the Minecraft:sky turns pitch black (but not the fog) in the Overworld.
-40	Top face of the barrier made from Minecraft:invisible bedrock in the Nether and the End in Bedrock Edition, preventing players from falling further down.
-51	The floor of Minecraft:ancient cities always generates at this layer.
-54	Minecraft:Lava replaces Minecraft:air below this layer in the Overworld.
-59 to -62	Partial layers of bedrock in the Overworld.
-63	Full layer of bedrock in the Overworld in Bedrock Edition, partial layers in Java Edition.
-64	Full layer of bedrock in the Overworld.
	Bottom face of the lowest block that can be placed in the Overworld.
	Players below this height in the Nether or the End take Minecraft:void damage in Java Edition. This damage cannot be prevented or mitigated, but commands can provide enough Minecraft:Regeneration to survive it. Non-player entities falling below this height despawn instantly.
-82	Players in Minecraft:Survival and Minecraft:Adventure mode below this height take void damage in Bedrock Edition.
-104	Top face of the barrier made from Minecraft:invisible bedrock in the Overworld in Bedrock Edition.
-128	Players below this height in Overworld take void damage in Java Edition.
-512	Bottom face of the lowest block that can be placed in a void world generated with the maximum build height in Bedrock Edition.
-2,032	Bottom face of the lowest block that can be generated in a Custom world with the maximum build height in Java Edition.
-65,536	Upper limit of the bottom face of the lowest temporary (isn't saved) block that can be placed in a Custom world (the lower it is, the slower the game runs). However, it can only be accessed through external programs.
-2,606,449Template:Update	In Bedrock Edition, the max depth a player can fall in unmodded Minecraft:Survival (assuming they are beyond X/Z ±1,048,576 to fall through the void barrier, at terminal velocity, and eating an inventory of enchanted golden apples).<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X38yXa0Ex10</ref>
-30,000,000	The minimum height the player can teleport to.
-2,147,483,647	In Bedrock Edition, the game crashes below this point.
-4,503,599,627,370,496	Minimum height reachable by flying, the point where the Template:Cd datatype stops growing in steps of 0.5.
-36,028,797,018,963,968	Below this height, players cannot move vertically except using NBT editors.
-Template:Sup (~-1.7976931×Template:Sup)	Smallest height Minecraft can distinguish from infinity, Java's Template:Cd.<ref name=":0" />

Natural resources and altitude

Features in the landscape of the Minecraft:Overworld are found at different altitudes, as shown in the graph below for Minecraft:Java Edition 1.20.2.

File:Resource distribution by altitude (Minecraft 1.20.2, Overworld).svg

Note that these charts utilize the logarithmic scale, which means a slight difference in the Y-coordinate represents a large change in the relative frequency of a block type. Also note that normal and deepslate ore variants have been combined in the chart. Interactive versions of these graphs containing all blocks can be found here.

The Nether

A similar graph, showing the distribution of blocks unique to Minecraft:the Nether (Minecraft:Java Edition 1.20.2):

File:Resource distribution by altitude (Minecraft 1.20.2, Nether).svg

The End

A similar graph, showing the distribution of blocks unique to Minecraft:the End (Minecraft:Java Edition 1.20.2):

File:Resource distribution by altitude (Minecraft 1.20.2, End).svg

Videos

Template:Yt

History

File:Hungerscreen.png

A screenshot shown by Notch of an experimental 512-block-high world.

File:Jeb World Height.png

The first screenshot shown by Jeb of a 256-block-high world.

Trivia

• The highest possible altitude the player can legitimately climb to is Y=320, although Minecraft:explosions, Minecraft:elytra launchers, Minecraft:piston Minecraft:slime block bounces, Minecraft:Riptide Minecraft:tridents, and wind burst launchers can all propel the player far beyond this limit.
• Template:IN, mushrooms can appear on the Nether's bedrock ceiling.<ref>Template:Bug</ref>
• Block generation and player construction below and above the build limits can be achieved only through modifying the dimension properties, or Minecraft:mods, such as the Cubic Chunks mod.
• The reasoning behind Minecraft:Custom worlds having height limits of ±2032 rather than ±2048 (a binary number notated as Template:Sup) is because the lighting system still applies 16 blocks above and below the world, but the Y-coordinates of blocks (which are also used in the lighting calculation) are stored internally using only 12 bits. Therefore, having limits of ±2048 would prevent the lighting system from functioning correctly.<ref name="lighting"/><ref>https://bugs.mojang.com/browse/MC-212347?focusedCommentId=911611&page=com.atlassian.jira.plugin.system.issuetabpanels%3Acomment-tabpanel#comment-911611</ref>
• When custom Minecraft:dimensions were added Template:In, their limit was always from 512 to -512, larger than any existing dimension in Minecraft.

Gallery

Screenshots

• Minecraft:Bedrock floor generating as low as Y = -2048 in a Minecraft:Custom world with decreased min_y.
  Minecraft:Bedrock floor generating as low as Y = -2048 in a Minecraft:Custom world with decreased min_y.
• Lowest placeable temporary block in a Minecraft:Custom world, at which point the game was unplayable.
  Lowest placeable temporary block in a Minecraft:Custom world, at which point the game was unplayable.

See also

• Minecraft:Chunk
• Minecraft:Coordinates
• Minecraft:Void
• Minecraft:Amplified