It's common knowledge that Mount Everest, famous for being the jewel in the Himalayan crown of Nepal, is the world's so-called "premier mountain." More so, we all call it the "tallest mountain" on Earth.
A Live Science report said it might be surprising to discover then that other peaks could possibly be considered the tallest on Earth depending on how they are measured.
Therefore, judging by different parameters, which include tallest by altitude, tallest from bottom to tap, and tallest according to their farthest distance from the center of Earth, are now the bases of judgment for the world's tallest mountain.
Situated in the Mahālangūr Himāl subrange of the Himalayas, Mount Everest is undeniably the most popular, not to mention, alluring of all the mountains of this planet.
Mount Everest Climbed by 4,000 People, Claimed 300 Lives
Everest, also called Chomolungma, which means "Goddess of the World" in Tibetan, was first climbed in 1953 by Tenzing Norgay, New Zealander Edmund Hillary, and Sherpa of Nepal, and has since been climbed successfully by approximately 4,000 people, a report from the Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. specified.
This mountain has also claimed the lives of more than 300 individuals since records began being kept in the early 1920s.
Researchers have measured Everest several times over the last few decades, although the latest analysis, announced last month, puts its height at 29,031 feet above sea level. Meaning, this mountain is nearly 8.8 kilometers tall.
According to Professor Martin Price, the founding director of the Centre for Mountain Studies at the University of Highlands and Islands in Scotland, to have "comparability in measurements," it is essential to have a "consistent baseline."
Historically, and even at present, the professor added, elevation is typically given as "height above mean sea level." Nevertheless, this needs to be with reference to a standard mean level, which has yet to be defined.
Price also explained that sea levels vary in different parts of the globe because of climate change.
He continued, as a result, elevation is now gauged in association with the mathematically defined geoid of the Earth. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration describes the geoid as a model of global mean sea level that's used to measure exact surface elevations.
Is Mount Everest Really the Tallest on Earth?
Because of the comparability in height and way of measurement, the question about Everest being the tallest on Earth now arises and remains unanswered to many.
And the answer is a "mountainous no," the report said. Such a credit would go to Hawaii's inactive volcano called Mauna Kea.
Its peak is almost 14,000 feet above sea level, which is less than half Mount Everest's height, as per the report of National Geographic. However, most part of this Hawaiian volcano is hidden underneath the sea level.
According to the United States Geological Survey, when Mauna Kea is measured from base to peak, it measures around 22,497 feet high, putting its heads and shoulders on top of Mount Everest.
So is it safe to say that Mauna Kea is the Earth's Tallest mountain? Price explained, it all depends on what perspective one is taking.
He elaborated, if there were no oceans on Earth, it would then be undebatable. One could easily draw comparisons and determine the highest mountain.
Mount Chimborazo Could Also Be The Tallest Mountain?
There's another one! Ecuador's Mount Chimborazo boasts a peak that's the farthest point from the center of Earth.
It may not be the tallest mountain in the Andes, not even in the top 30. However, its proximity to the equator is what's making all the difference.
Chimborazo is only one-degree south of the equator, where the bulge of Earth is almost protruding. Such a "geographical quirk" means the summit of this mountain is 3,967 miles from the core of Earth, making it 6,798 feet farther away from the center of this planet compared to the peak of Mount Everest.
Therefore, Mount Everest may be the tallest mountain above sea level. Mauna Kea, on the other hand, certain claims to be the tallest mountain in the world when measured from base to peak. It would be hard to make a case for Mount Chimborazo to be considered the tallest because it's "a matter of perspective," admitted Professor Price.
Related information about Mount Everest not being the tallest mountain on Earth is shown on Modern Misconception's YouTube video below:
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