Altitude is commonly expressed as a number defining the distance in layers above the base of the game environment, which is Layer zero (0). Sea Level is recognized as Layer 64, and the top of the game environment is Layer 127. Specifically, the bottom face of the bottommost bedrock block is at Y coordinate 0. This block is said to be in Layer 0. The top face of the highest block that can be placed is at Y coordinate 128. This block is said to be in Layer 127. The player can press F3 to see what Y coordinate the player's eye is currently at. This range of numbers can be expressed in only 8 bits, a very common limit to many programming languages and applications.
Natural resources and altitude
Landscape features are found at different altitudes, as shown in this graph:
Beware the logarithmic scale: a slight difference in the y coordinate means a large increase in relative frequency of this block type.
See the following table for a textual description of resources by altitude and tools needed to gather them.
| Landscape Feature | Commonly found up to… | Rare between… | None above… | Implement needed for drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal ore | Layer 128 | Layer 129-131[1] | Layer 132[1] | Wood or better pickaxe |
| Gravel | Layer 128 | Layer 129-131[1] | Layer 132[1] | None |
| Dirt | Layer 128 | Layer 129-131[1] | Layer 132[1] | None |
| Clouds | Layer 109-111 | n/a | 112 | (Programs and Editors)[2] |
| Sand | Layer 80 | Layer 81-83 | Layer 84 | None |
| Sea Level | Layer 64 | n/a | n/a | Bucket |
| Iron ore | Layer 64 | Layer 65-67 | Layer 68 | Stone or better pickaxe |
| Gold ore | Layer 32 | Layer 33-35 | Layer 36 | Iron or better pickaxe |
| Lapis Lazuli ore | Layer 32 | Layer 33-35 | Layer 36 | Stone or better pickaxe |
| Lava | Layer 16 | Layer 17-64[1] | Layer 65 | Bucket |
| Diamond ore | Layer 16 | Layer 17-19 | Layer 20 | Iron or better pickaxe |
| Redstone ore[3] | Layer 16 | Layer 17-19 | Layer 20 | Iron or better pickaxe |
| Bedrock | Layer 1 | Layer 2-4 | Layer 5 | (Programs and Editors)[2] |
- ↑ a b c d e f g These points are above the maximum map height, and were extrapolated based on the pattern of (2^n, [2^n]+1 to [2^n]+3, [2^n]+4). Lava, which has been witnessed rarely at the surface seems to break this pattern.
- ↑ a b Bedrock and Clouds cannot be manipulated by items within the game world.
- ↑ Redstone has the same layer and line-size statistics as Diamond, but is generated 8 times per chunk as opposed to 1.
Other naturally occurring features appear at different altitudes such as grass, wood, flowers, mushrooms, clay, cobble, sugar cane and Obsidian, but all of these features are random and must appear in conjunction with another block and the proper environment to appear.
| Feature | Requires |
|---|---|
| Grass | Dirt and Light |
| Sugar Cane | Dirt and Water |
| Wood | Dirt and Light |
| Flowers | Dirt and Light |
| Mushrooms | Dry land and darkness |
| Clay | Water and Sand |
| Obsidian | Lava and Water |
| Cobble | Lava and Water or Dungeons |
Trivia
- When at the highest level of a map in Beta, the edges of the screen will fade to black, simulating thinning air.