The question of the world’s highest mountain does not have a single, simple answer because the result depends entirely on the method used for measurement. While Mount Everest is the generally accepted champion, the title of “highest mountain” is claimed by at least two other peaks when considering different scientific criteria. These alternate measurements provide a more complete understanding of Earth’s topography. The three distinct ways to measure a mountain reveal three different record holders, each with a valid claim to the title of highest mountain on Earth.
Everest: The Benchmark of Sea Level Height
Mount Everest holds the title for the highest elevation above mean sea level (MSL), the most common and standardized way to measure a mountain’s height. MSL is an established geodetic datum, representing the average level of the ocean surface from which all other elevations are measured globally. The officially recognized height of the Everest summit is 8,848.86 meters (29,031.7 feet), a figure jointly announced by Nepal and China in December 2020 after a comprehensive survey.
This recent measurement utilized modern technology, including Global Positioning System (GPS) devices and laser theodolites, to achieve greater precision. Everest is located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas, situated on the border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. The mountain’s height is a direct result of the ongoing tectonic collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates, which continues to thrust the entire range upward.
The Tallest Mountain Measured Base to Summit
A different metric for mountain height measures the structure from its true geological base to its summit, regardless of whether that base is above or below sea level. By this measurement, the world’s tallest mountain belongs to Mauna Kea, a dormant shield volcano located on the island of Hawaii. Mauna Kea’s summit stands at 4,205 meters (13,796 feet) above sea level, significantly lower than Everest’s elevation.
The bulk of the volcano rests on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, which is depressed by the volcano’s sheer mass. When measured from its underwater base in the Hawaiian Trough, the total height of Mauna Kea reaches approximately 10,210 meters (33,500 feet). This makes Mauna Kea’s entire structure roughly 1.3 kilometers (4,465 feet) taller than Mount Everest’s height above sea level.
The Farthest Point from the Earth’s Center
A third measurement considers the mountain peak that is the farthest point from the center of the Earth. This approach accounts for the planet’s unique shape, which is an oblate spheroid, meaning it bulges slightly around the equator. This equatorial bulge means that locations near the equator are already thousands of meters farther from the Earth’s center than locations at the poles.
The mountain that capitalizes on this phenomenon is Mount Chimborazo, an inactive stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador. Although Chimborazo’s summit elevation above sea level is only 6,263 meters (20,548 feet), its location just one degree south of the equator makes its summit the farthest point from the center of the Earth. Reaching approximately 6,384.4 kilometers (3,967.1 miles), Chimborazo’s peak is over 2.1 kilometers (1.3 miles) farther from the planet’s core than the summit of Mount Everest.