Answer – When considering altitude above sea level, Mount Everest’s peak is the highest point on Earth. However, when considering the greatest distance from the center of Earth, Mount Chimborazo is the highest point.
Explanation:
Situated between Nepal and Tibet, Mount Everest is Earth’s tallest mountain. Its peak occurs at a height of 29,029 feet (8,848 meters) above sea level and is the highest point on Earth.
The answer, however, varies if the highest point is defined in a different manner.
The combined effect of Earth’s rotation and gravity causes the planet to bulge at the equator, making it an oblate spheroid. If this equatorial bulge is taken into account and the point farthest from Earth’s center is measured, Mount Chimborazo’s summit in Ecuador is the highest point. The bulge causes the mountain’s peak to occur at a distance of 6,800 feet (2,072 meters) further than Everest’s. The altitude of Chimborazo’s peak, however, is only 20,564 feet (6,268 meters) above sea level—8,465 feet (2,580 meters) lower than Everest.
Popular Questions
Textbook Solutions
- A hiker wants to estimate the height of a mountain before attempting a climb to the top. Her first measurement shows an angle of elevation to the t...
- A wire is fastened to a point T on a tree and to point A located 8.8 ft from the base of the tree along level ground (see figure). The angle that t...