diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index b04a72331..3b289c057 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ There have been contributions on the development from:
   Chris Mills,
   Arushi Saxena,
   Wim Spakman,
-  Cedric Thieulot 
+  Cedric Thieulot,
+  Yijun Wang,
   and
-  Yijun Wang
+  Alan Yu
diff --git a/source/world_builder/features/continental_plate.cc b/source/world_builder/features/continental_plate.cc
index 38d2e2b51..84a3d86a9 100644
--- a/source/world_builder/features/continental_plate.cc
+++ b/source/world_builder/features/continental_plate.cc
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ namespace WorldBuilder
                         grains.unroll_into(output,entry_in_output[i_property]);
                         break;
                       }
-                      case 4:
+                      case 4: // tag
                       {
                         output[entry_in_output[i_property]] = static_cast<double>(tag_index);
                         break;
@@ -295,6 +295,20 @@ namespace WorldBuilder
                         //std::cout << "vel=" << output[entry_in_output[i_property]] << ":" << output[entry_in_output[i_property]+1] << ":" << output[entry_in_output[i_property]+2] << std::endl;
                         break;
                       }
+                      case 7: // elevation
+                      {
+                        if(std::isnan(output[entry_in_output[i_property]])){
+                          // for the first time, set the output to local min depth
+                          output[entry_in_output[i_property]] = min_depth_local
+                        } else {
+                          // compare subsequent local min depths and set the output to the minimum
+                          if (min_depth_local < output[entry_in_output[i_property]]) {
+                            output[entry_in_output[i_property]] = min_depth_local
+                          }
+                        }
+                        break;
+                      }
+                      break;
                       default:
                       {
                         WBAssertThrow(false,
diff --git a/source/world_builder/world.cc b/source/world_builder/world.cc
index 5bfd422f4..a2c6e639d 100644
--- a/source/world_builder/world.cc
+++ b/source/world_builder/world.cc
@@ -299,6 +299,11 @@ namespace WorldBuilder
               n_output_entries += 3;
               break;
             }
+            case 7: // elevation
+            {
+              n_output_entries += 1;
+              break;
+            }
             default:
               WBAssertThrow(false,
                             "Internal error: Unimplemented property provided. " <<
@@ -385,6 +390,11 @@ namespace WorldBuilder
               counter += 3;
               break;
             }
+            case 7:   // elevation
+            {
+              counter += 1;
+              break;
+            }
             default:
             {
               WBAssert(false,
@@ -471,6 +481,13 @@ namespace WorldBuilder
               properties_local.emplace_back(properties[i_property]);
               break;
             }
+            case 7: // elevation
+            {
+              entry_in_output.emplace_back(output.size());
+              output.emplace_back(0);
+              properties_local.emplace_back(properties[i_property]);
+              break;
+            }
             default:
               WBAssertThrow(false,
                             "Internal error: Unimplemented property provided. " <<