Misconception #5: Mount Everest is the Tallest on Earth

If you've been a good geography student at school, university, or just a geo-fanatic in general, you would probably have learned that the tallest mountain on Earth is .. drum roll .. Mount Everest.

What we are about to tell you today, is that information is actually, a misconception.

Mount Everest, in fact, is neither the tallest, nor the highest mountain on Earth.

Okay, got you a bit confused? Let's give some definitions first.

Definitions
To clarify this, let us define what it means to be the tallest, highest, or most elevated mountain as follows:

Tallest Mountain: When using the term tallest, we often refer to the height from the base of the mountain.
Highest: When using the term highest, we often refer to the height from the center of the Earth.
Most Elevated (Most Altitude): When using this term, we often refer to the height above sea level.

Research
Now, Mount Everest is often referred to as the tallest, in the context of the third definition, being at 8,848 meters (29,029 feet) above sea level where it is located. Which, by definition, is true compared to any other mountain on Earth.

Tallest Mountain?

Yet, looking at the criteria for being the tallest mountain, as in measuring the height of the mountain from base, Mount Mauna Kea, an inactive volcano in Hawaii, would be the tallest mountain.

How so, you ask?

Mauna Kea actually stands at 4,205 meters (13,796 feet) above sea level. Yet, it has a submerged portion underwater, the height of which is at 6,000 meters (19,700 feet), hence rendering the total height of Mauna Kea at 10,210 meters (33,500 feet), making it the ACTUAL tallest mountain on Earth, beating Mount Everest by around 1,362 meters (around 0.85 miles).

You can see a comparison below

Highest Mountain?

Now if we utilize the second definition, which is measuring the height from the center of the Earth, this time Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador snatches the title. Reason being is the weird shape of our plant Earth.

In fact, our dear Earth as you might know, is not a perfect sphere, and it bulges around the equator. Mount Chimborazo, being located on the equator, benefits from this difference.
While it stands at only 6,249 meters (20,500 feet) above sea level, yet if measured from the center of the Earth, it then measures to 6,384.4 kms (3,967 miles) beating Everest being at 6,382.2 kms (3,965.8 miles).

You can see a quick illustration below

Judgment
Based on our definitions and findings, mount Everest is definitely not the tallest, nor the highest, but it definitely has the highest elevation/altitude above sea level where it is located.

Another misconception busted!

Hope you learned something new today!
-- MCF

From this series:

If you enjoyed this post, you might want to check out my earlier posts from the "Misconceptions" series:

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