For decades, people have assumed that Mount Everest is the world’s highest mountain due to its extreme altitude and iconic status. However, a team of scientists has recently challenged this notion by revealing the true height of our planet.
According to researchers, the actual height of a mountain on Earth depends on how it is measured from different reference points. While Mount Everest stands at 8,848.86 meters above sea level, another volcano in Ecuador, Mount Chimborazo, is actually closer to outer space due to its location on an equatorial bulge.
This equatorial bulge causes the summit of Mount Chimborazo to be farther from the Earth’s core than that of Mount Everest. In fact, it extends more than 2,000 meters above the summit of Mount Everest if measured from the center of the Earth.
Another contender for the title is Mauna Kea in Hawaii, which measures a total height of over 10,000 meters when including its base to the ocean floor. This perspective highlights that traditional measurements may not accurately represent a mountain’s true size and shape.
The discovery has sparked interesting discussions about the concept of height and how we measure it. According to Professor Haakon Fossen, a geology expert at the University of Bergen, “It’s a different way of understanding height. It offers a new perspective on our planet.”
While Mount Everest may not lose its iconic status, this new information provides valuable insights into the tourism industry surrounding one of the world’s highest mountains.
Source: https://www.sciencenorway.no/geology/this-is-earths-highest-mountain-and-you-have-probably-never-heard-of-it/2432934