In mountainous areas, how many feet of buffer does OROCA provide?

OROCA, or Off-Route Obstruction Clearance Altitude, is designed to provide a safety buffer in mountainous areas to ensure that aircraft have adequate clearance over terrain and any obstacles that may be present. In these regions, the altitude must be sufficient to allow for a safe margin above the highest terrain and any obstacles.

The correct answer indicating that OROCA provides a buffer of 2,000 feet in mountainous areas is critical because this altitude is determined based on the elevation of surrounding terrain to enhance safety for aircraft navigating through potentially hazardous geographical features. This additional vertical separation significantly reduces the risk of collisions with unexpected terrain and obstructions, ensuring that pilots have a better safety margin while operating in challenging environments.

The other options, while they represent varying altitude buffers, do not meet the specified safety requirements established for OROCA in mountainous terrain, which emphasizes the importance of the 2,000 feet buffer for effective risk management in such flying conditions.