When talking about the highest mountain in the world, almost everyone will mention Mount Everest without thinking. However, experts warn that the highest point on Earth depends on the method of measurement, so Everest is not at the top of the list in some categories.
According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the peak of Chimborazo in Ecuador is more than two kilometers from the center of the Earth compared to Everest.
The reason for this lies in the fact that the Earth is not a perfect sphere. Due to the rotation of the planet, it is slightly flattened at the poles, and bulges around the equator. This is precisely why mountains located closer to the equator start from a higher “starting level” than those located closer to the poles.
Chimborazo is located almost on the equator, while Mount Everest is located about 28 degrees north. This is why the top of the Ecuadorian volcano is more than 2,072 meters further from the center of the Earth than the top of Everest.
Such findings are not new. Back in the 18th century, scientists tried to prove the true shape of the Earth. The French Academy of Sciences organized two geodetic expeditions – one to Lapland, and the other to the area of today’s Ecuador. Their measurements confirmed Isaac Newton’s theory that the Earth bulges around the equator.
Later, the famous naturalist Alexander von Humboldt tried to conquer Chimborazo. During the expedition in 1802, he did not reach the top, but he reached the then record height of 5,878 meters.
Modern geodesy today uses the term geoid – an imaginary surface that follows the Earth’s gravitational field and roughly corresponds to the average sea level. Since gravity is not equal on all parts of the planet, the Earth’s surface is not completely regular either.
Therefore, the answer to the question of which mountain is the highest depends on the criteria.
If altitude is measured, Everest remains the undisputed record holder with its 8,848.86 meters.
If measured by distance from the center of the Earth, the title belongs to Chimborazo.
There is a third candidate for this unusual race. It is about the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Kea. When measured from its base at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean to its summit, Mauna Kea reaches more than 10,210 meters, making it the tallest mountain on Earth from base to summit.
In other words, the answer to the question of what is the highest mountain in the world depends on where you place the starting point of the measurement.
