05/05/2020 Highest Mountain in the World - Tallest Mountain

Custom Search Search

Geology.com News Rocks Minerals Gemstones Volcanoes More Topics US Maps World Maps Store

Advertising Home » Records » Highest Mountain

Highest Mountain in the World

Depending upon how you define "highest mountain," Mount Everest has some rivals!

Mount Everest: Highest Altitude

Almost everyone calls Mount Everest "the highest
mountain in the world," and climbers from everywhere
travel to Everest hoping to earn the distinction of
climbing the "World's Highest."

What does "world's highest" really mean?

Mount Everest is called the world's highest mountain

because it has the "highest elevation above sea
level." We could also say that it has the "highest
altitude."
The peak of Mount Everest is 8,850 meters (29,035
Highest Altitude: An altitude of 8,850 meters (29,035
feet) above sea level makes Mount Everest the mountain
on Earth with the highest altitude. "Highest altitude" means
that it has the highest elevation above mean sea level.

feet) above sea level. No other mountain on Earth has

a higher altitude. However, some mountains might be considered "taller" (with taller being "the total vertical
distance between their base and their summit").

Categories
Astronomy
Diamonds
Earth Science News
Earthquakes
Energy
Fossils
Gemstones
General Geology
Geologic Hazards
Geologist Information
Geology Dictionary Everest from Gokyo Ri: A clear-sky view of the Mount
Geology Tools Everest summit through a telephoto lens from the summit
Gold
of Gokyo Ri. Image copyright iStockphoto / Grazyna
Igneous Rocks
Landslides Niedzieska.
Metals Mauna Kea: Tallest Mountain
Metamorphic Rocks
Meteorites
Mauna Kea has an altitude of 4,205 meters (13,796
Minerals
Oceanography feet) - much lower than Mount Everest. However,
Oil and Gas
Mauna Kea is an island, and if the distance from the
Plate Tectonics
Rocks bottom of the nearby Pacific Ocean floor to the peak
Rock Tumblers
of the island is measured, then Mauna Kea is "taller"
Satellite Images
Sedimentary Rocks than Mount Everest.
Teacher Resources
U.S.A. Maps
Mauna Kea is over 10,000 meters tall compared to
Volcanoes
World Maps 8,850 meters for Mount Everest - making it the
World Records
"world's tallest mountain."
From Our Store
https://geology.com/records/highest-mountain-in-the-world.shtml 1/3
05/05/2020 Highest Mountain in the World - Tallest Mountain
All Products
Field Books Tallest Mountain: The base of Mauna Kea is about 6000
Gem & Mineral Books meters below sea level, and the summit is about 4000
Gfeller Leather Cases meters above sea level. The distance between the foot of
Gold Books & Maps the mountain and the summit is about 10,000 meters. This
Rock Hammers
makes Mauna Kea the "tallest" mountain in the world.
Rock & Mineral Kits
Roadside Geology Guides
Topographic Maps
Tumbled Stones
Wall Maps
Waterproof Paper
Map Collections
Alabama Map
Alaska Map
Arizona Map
Arkansas Map
California Map
Colorado Map
Astronomical Observatories on Mauna Kea: The
Connecticut Map summit of Mauna Kea holds other distinctions. In addition
Delaware Map to being the summit of the world's "tallest" mountain, it is
Florida Map also the home of the world's largest astronomical
Georgia Map observatory. At an elevation of nearly 14,000 feet above
Hawaii Map
Idaho Map
sea level, the observatory is above 40% of Earth's
Illinois Map atmosphere. The atmosphere above the mountain is
Indiana Map extremely dry and almost cloud-free. This makes it an ideal
Iowa Map location for an observatory. And, yes, that is snow on the Snow in Hawaii? Satellite view of the island of Hawaii.
Kansas Map ground in Hawaii - the altitude is high enough and cold The two snow caps are Mauna Loa (center) and Mauna
Kentucky Map Kea (to the north). Image by NASA.
enough to accumulate snow. Photo copyright iStockphoto /
Louisiana Map
Maine Map GeorgeBurba.
Maryland Map
Massachusetts Map
Michigan Map
Minnesota Map
Mississippi Map Chimborazo:
Missouri Map
Montana Map
Highest Above Earth's Center
Nebraska Map
Nevada Map Chimborazo in Ecuador has an altitude of 6,310
New Hampshire Map
meters (20,703 feet). Mount Everest has a higher
New Jersey Map
New Mexico Map altitude, and Mauna Kea is "taller." However,
New York Map
Chimborazo has the distinction of being the "highest
North Carolina Map
North Dakota Map mountain above Earth's center."
Ohio Map
Oklahoma Map
Oregon Map
This is because Earth is not a sphere - it is an oblate
Pennsylvania Map spheroid. As an oblate spheroid, Earth is widest at its
Rhode Island Map
South Carolina Map
equator. Chimborazo is just one degree south of the
South Dakota Map equator. At that location, it is 6,384 kilometers (3,967
Tennessee Map Highest Above Earth's Center: The Earth does not have
miles) above Earth's center, or about 2 kilometers
Texas Map the shape of a perfect sphere. Instead, its diameter is
Utah Map (about 1.2 miles) farther from Earth's center than greatest near the equator. In the diagram above, the gray
Vermont Map
Virginia Map
Mount Everest. dashed line is a perfect circle, and the solid blue line
Washington Map
represents the shape of the earth (exaggerated a bit to
West Virginia Map make its departure from spherical obvious). Chimborazo is
Wisconsin Map located near the equator where Earth's diameter is
Wyoming Map greatest. This makes the summit of Chimborazo the
highest point above the center of the Earth.

Snow at the Equator? Photo of Chimborazo mountain,

Ecuador. Even though the mountain is very close to the
equator, it is high enough to support a year-round snow
cap. Image copyright iStockphoto / ache1978.

Find Other Topics on Geology.com: More Earth Extremes

Search Tallest Mountain

https://geology.com/records/highest-mountain-in-the-world.shtml 2/3
05/05/2020 Highest Mountain in the World - Tallest Mountain

Largest Tsunami

Rocks: Galleries of igneous, Minerals: Information about ore

sedimentary and metamorphic minerals, gem materials and
rock photos with descriptions. rock-forming minerals.
Geology Tools

The World*s Largest Highly

Acidic Lake

Deepest Lake in the World

Volcanoes: Articles about Gemstones: Colorful images and
volcanoes, volcanic hazards and articles about diamonds and
eruptions past and present. colored stones.

Largest Earthquake

The Most Explosive Eruption

General Geology: Articles about Geology Store: Hammers, field

geysers, maars, deltas, rifts, salt bags, hand lenses, maps, books,
domes, water, and much more! hardness picks, gold pans. World*s Largest Diamonds

Earth Science Records: Highest Diamonds: Learn about the

mountain, deepest lake, biggest properties of diamond, its many
tsunami and more. uses, and diamond discoveries.

© 2005-2020 Geology.com. All Rights Reserved.

Images, code, and content on this website are property of Geology.com and are protected by copyright law.
Geology.com does not grant permission for any use, republication, or redistribution.

https://geology.com/records/highest-mountain-in-the-world.shtml 3/3