Tallest mountain on earth isn't Everest

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The Tallest Mountain On Earth Isn't Everest
The Tallest Mountain On Earth Isn't Everest


Mount Everest may be the highest mountain to climb in the world, but it's actually not the tallest mountain on Earth.

According to a recent New York Times report, that designation belongs to Ecuador's Mount Chimborazo.

See also: Base jump from Mount Everest

See also: Climbers nearly at peak of Everest for first time in three years



Here's the science bit:

While it is around 8,500 feet shorter than Everest when measured from sea level (20,500 feet versus just over 29,000 feet) the South American peak's distance of nearly 4,000 miles from the Earth's centre far surpasses its Himalayan counterpart.

The reason for this disparity is because Earth isn't uniformly round but slightly flatter along the poles and wider around the equator.

In fact, the middle section's radius is estimated to be 13 miles longer. While Chimborazo lies along this wider area, Everest is situated more to the north.

Nevertheless, climbers still consider Everest to be a far greater achievement, as it takes up to nine days to climb to the top after acclimatizing compared with just two days for Chimborazo.

According to Geology.com the distinction is that Mount Chimborazo can claim to be 'the highest mountain above the Earth's center' where as Mount Everest has a higher altitude.

Meanwhile, the website also states that there is another mountain in the mix. Mauna Kea can claim to being the 'tallest' mountain, but only if you measure from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean floor to the peak of the mountain.

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