Which is Earth’s Tallest Mountain?

 

Last week I posted a story about our solar system’s tallest mountains. (See the chart below.)

space-mountainsYou may have noticed that Mount Everest was missing. Was it a mistake?

Not at all. While most people call Everest “the highest mountain in the world,” it’s actually tricker than it seems. Mount Everest has the highest elevation above sea level, 29,035 feet above sea level.

That said, the island of Mauna Kea in the Pacific Ocean is the tallest when measured from base to summit.  While it’s just 13,796 feet above sea level, a large part of the inactive volcano is underwater. So, its total height is 33,500 feet, almost a mile taller than Mount Everest.

 

3 Comments

  1. before I read the blog I’m gonna guess: although I don’t know it’s name The tallest mountain in the world is mostly under water The mountain highest above sea level is mount Everest Right?
    Now I will go see

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.