Determining the world’s tallest cliff is complex because the definitive champion depends entirely on the metric used to define “tall” and “cliff.” The record holder changes based on whether the measurement focuses on uninterrupted verticality, total height above the ocean, or the overall size of a massive rock face. These highest cliffs are geological anomalies, representing dramatic interactions between the Earth’s crustal movements and the forces of erosion.
Identifying the World’s Tallest Sheer Vertical Drop
The title for the greatest single, uninterrupted vertical drop belongs to Mount Thor, or Thor Peak, located on Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada. This granite monolith boasts a sheer face dropping approximately 1,250 meters (4,100 feet) from its summit to the valley floor. The face is so steep that it actually overhangs at an average angle of 15 degrees. The measurement is specific to the continuous vertical distance an object would fall before hitting the rock face or the talus slope below.
Attracting specialized climbers and extreme sports enthusiasts despite its remote location within Auyuittuq National Park, Mount Thor features the longest freefall on the planet. The mountain’s highly resistant Precambrian granite composition has allowed it to maintain its near-vertical structure against the forces of nature. Its imposing profile was largely sculpted by massive glacial scouring during the last ice age, which carved out the U-shaped valley beneath the peak.
Different Metrics for Measuring Cliff Height
The definition of a cliff leads to three distinct categories of towering rock formations. Sea cliffs, for instance, are measured from the water’s edge to the highest point of the landmass above.
The Kalaupapa Cliffs on the northern coast of Molokai, Hawaii, are the world’s tallest sea cliffs, reaching heights between 600 and 1,010 meters (3,000 to 4,000 feet) above the Pacific Ocean. Their structure is a colossal wall of basalt that plunges steeply into the water, rather than a single, continuous vertical plane like Mount Thor. Measurement is complicated by the presence of a talus apron, or sloping accumulation of rock debris, at the base and the variable effects of tides.
A third metric focuses on massive mountain faces or “big walls” that represent the largest continuous climbable rock structures, even if they are not perfectly vertical. The East Face of the Great Trango Tower in Pakistan’s Karakoram range is an example, featuring a nearly vertical drop of about 1,340 meters (4,400 feet). This face is technically taller than Mount Thor’s sheer drop. However, its slope is not maintained at the same overhanging angle throughout, making it the world’s greatest nearly vertical face rather than the greatest pure vertical drop.
How Extreme Cliffs Are Formed (Geological Processes)
The formation of these extreme cliffs requires a precise combination of two powerful geological processes: crustal uplift and localized erosion. Tectonic activity, such as the collision of continental plates or movement along massive fault lines, is responsible for raising large blocks of the Earth’s crust to significant elevations. This uplift provides the necessary height for a cliff to be formed in the first place, creating high plateaus or mountain ranges.
Once a high-elevation rock mass is established, the removal of surrounding material exposes a sheer face. Glacial erosion is particularly effective in shaping dramatic mountain cliffs, as massive ice sheets move through valleys, plucking and grinding away softer rock.
In coastal environments, the process is driven by the relentless power of water. The Kalaupapa cliffs in Hawaii were formed by a catastrophic event where a third of the island’s northern flank collapsed into the sea approximately 1 to 1.5 million years ago. Subsequent erosion by wind, rain, and waves on the remaining, highly resistant basalt rock refined the vertical profile. This demonstrates that immense cliffs are the result of geological violence followed by persistent weathering.