Mountain facts: measuring the high places
Height depends entirely on where you start measuring from. Sea level gives one answer, the centre of the earth gives another, and the base of the mountain gives a third, and each of the three has a different winner.
Measured from its base, which mountain is the tallest on Earth?
Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea rises about 10,200 m from the sea floor, though only 4,207 m of that is above water. Everest is the highest above sea level, which is a different question.
Source: USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Which summit is furthest from the centre of the Earth?
Chimborazo
The Earth bulges at the equator by about 21 km. Chimborazo sits almost on the equator, so despite being 6,263 m above sea level its summit is about 2 km further from the centre than Everest's.
Source: Geodetic surveys of the equatorial bulge
What is happening to Mount Everest's height?
It is slowly rising as India pushes into Asia
The Indian plate drives into Eurasia at roughly 45 mm a year, lifting the Himalaya by about 4 mm annually, partly offset by erosion. Earthquakes can move the summit sharply in either direction.
Source: GPS geodesy of the Himalayan collision zone
Which is the longest continental mountain range in the world?
The Andes
The Andes run about 7,000 km down the western edge of South America through seven countries. The Himalaya, far higher on average, is only about 2,400 km long.
Source: Standard physical geography references
How high is the highest point in the European Netherlands?
About 320 m
The Vaalserberg reaches about 322 m, in the far southeast where three borders meet. About a quarter of the country lies below sea level, held back by dikes.
Source: Statistics Netherlands elevation data
Mount Thor in Canada holds which record?
The greatest vertical drop
Its west face drops about 1,250 m at an average overhang of 15 degrees, a cliff that leans out over its own base the whole way down.
Source: Parks Canada, Auyuittuq National Park
Why is K2 considered harder to climb than Everest despite being lower?
Steeper terrain and worse weather
K2 is 8,611 m to Everest's 8,849 but has no straightforward ridge, is prone to sudden storms, and has a far higher death rate. It has never been summited in winter until 2021.
Source: Himalayan Database expedition records