A low that may be completely encircled by an isobar or contour line. (This means an isobar or contour line of any value, not necessarily restricted to those arbitrarily chosen for the analysis of the chart. ) Strictly, all lows are closed. However, in weather-map analysis terminology, this designation is used commonly in two respects: 1) on surface charts, to distinguish a low from a trough, especially as a low develops within the trough; and 2) on upper-level charts, to accentuate the fact that the circulation is closed, especially at levels and over latitudes where such an occurrence is unusual. The definition of closed high is analogous.