The highest peak on Earth is the mountain summit reaching the greatest elevation above the ocean’s surface. This standard measurement is used by cartographers, geologists, and mountaineers to define the planet’s ultimate high point. That distinction belongs to Mount Everest, a colossal mountain in the Himalayan range. Its official measurement has been a subject of international scientific cooperation for decades due to the mountain’s sheer scale and the challenges of accurate determination.
The World’s Highest Peak and Its Official Elevation
The official height for the world’s highest peak is 8,848.86 meters (approximately 29,031.7 feet). This precise figure was jointly announced in December 2020 by the governments of Nepal and China, resolving a long-standing difference in their previous measurements. The mountain, known as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Chomolungma in Tibet, stands on the international border within the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas.
The new height is slightly taller than the 8,848-meter figure accepted since a 1954 Indian survey. The increase is attributed to the mountain’s continual rise due to tectonic plate movement and the advanced measurement technologies used in the recent surveys. Both nations deployed surveyors to the summit, using modern techniques to calculate the height of the snowcap atop the rock peak. This collaborative effort provides a unified, official elevation for the planet’s highest point.
The 2020 figure represents the height of the highest point of the mountain, including the snow and ice layer, ending debates about measuring to solid rock versus the snowcap. The effort required surveyors to carry sophisticated Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers to the summit to collect data for calculating the mountain’s true elevation.
The Science of Defining Mountain Height
Defining a mountain’s elevation requires establishing a zero point for measurement, known as the vertical datum. For international mapping, this baseline is the geoid, an imaginary surface representing the mean sea level (MSL) extended globally under the continents. This surface is not a perfect sphere because it is defined by the Earth’s uneven gravitational field.
The geoid is the surface where the force of gravity is perpendicular at every point, making it the most reliable reference for elevation, or orthometric height. Surveyors use sophisticated tools like GNSS receivers to determine a mountain’s position in three dimensions. Satellite systems initially provide a height relative to a simplified mathematical model of the Earth called an ellipsoid.
To convert the ellipsoidal height from the GNSS data into the accepted height above mean sea level, a complex geoid model is necessary. This model accounts for the difference between the ellipsoid and the actual gravitational surface of the geoid at that specific location. Survey teams also incorporate classic techniques such as precision leveling, which physically measures the change in height between benchmarks to maintain accuracy. This combination of traditional surveying and high-tech satellite data ensures the final elevation figure is accurate.
Other Peaks That Compete for the Title
The title of “highest peak” can change depending on the metric used, leading to other mountains that challenge the supremacy of the Himalayan giant. One alternative definition considers the total vertical distance from a mountain’s base to its summit, rather than its elevation above sea level. By this measure, the shield volcano Mauna Kea in Hawaii is recognized as the world’s tallest mountain.
Mauna Kea rises only about 4,205 meters (13,796 feet) above the Pacific Ocean’s surface, making its above-water portion significantly smaller than Everest’s elevation. However, its base rests deep beneath the ocean floor in the Hawaiian Trough, approximately 6,000 meters (19,700 feet) down. When measured from its submerged base to its peak, Mauna Kea reaches an astonishing total height of over 10,205 meters (33,480 feet).
Another mountain challenges the title based on its distance from the center of the Earth, rather than sea level. Chimborazo, an inactive volcano in Ecuador, is the farthest point on the planet’s surface from its core. The Earth is not a perfect sphere, but rather an oblate spheroid, meaning it bulges slightly around the equator due to centrifugal force from the planet’s rotation.
Chimborazo is located very close to the equator, benefiting significantly from this equatorial bulge. Even though its summit is only 6,263 meters (20,548 feet) above sea level, the peak is approximately 2.1 kilometers farther from the planet’s center than the summit of Mount Everest. This unique geographical placement makes Chimborazo the closest point on Earth to outer space.