How Do Scientists Determine the Worlds Tallest Mountain?
While measuring mountains may not seem like rocket science, there are actually a number of different ways in which to measure mountains. Depending on which technique is used, the title of world’s tallest mountain could go to several different mountains in various regions of the world. Some scientists will also heatedly debate the issue, arguing that their technique is the accurate, conventional, and widely accepted one. When most people think about the elevation of a mountain, they often visualize elevation from sea level, which is also one of the most widely accepted measuring techniques used when determining the world’s highest mountain. People are familiar with sea level measurements because elevation is classically expressed as a distance from sea level on road signs, maps, and textbooks. This is also an easy form of measurement to visualize. When measuring from sea level, Mount Everest is the uncontested king, with a peak which is 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) above sea level.
