The absolute and relative altitude of the volcano mauna kea. The highest mountain in the world, mauna kea

Which mountain is the tallest in the world? It depends on how you measure them. There are two mountains that claim to be the tallest in the world. The summit of Mount Everest is higher above sea level than the summit of any other mountain, but Mauna Kea is the highest when measured from base to summit. Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano in Hawaii, is the most high mountain in the world, if you measure from the base, deep into Pacific, to the top. The discussion of the issue of height rests on the fact that most of Mauna Kea in Hawaii is underwater and so the measurement from the aforementioned sea level does not do justice to its sheer size.

The summit of Mauna Kea is 4.205 meters above sea level, but it extends approximately 6,000 meters below the surface of the water. Therefore, the total elevation is 10,210 meters, which is almost one and a half kilometers more than Mount Everest, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Thus, it falls into the list of the tallest mountains in the world.


In Hawaiian, Mauna Kea means "White Mountain" and its snowy peak attracts skiers and snowboarders. Its lower slopes are popular hunting areas, hiking, sightseeing and bird watching.


Its location near the equator makes Mauna Kea an excellent astronomical observation site. Low humidity and clear skies make weather near the summit of the volcano is almost ideal for many of the world's leading space observatories. The mountain's distance from city lights and the island's harsh lighting also help provide the atmospheric clarity that telescopes demand.

Mauna Kea is currently home to 13 telescopes, including NASA's Infrared Telescopes, the California Institute of Technology Observatory and Japan's Subaru Telescope, as well as the Keck Interferometer Telescope, the largest single-mirror telescope in the world. Mauna Kea Center webcams allow on-line viewers to witness these stellar observatories in action.


The top of Mauna Kea holds another record. In addition to being the top of the world's tallest mountain, it is also home to the largest astronomical observatory in the world. This observatory is located above 40% of the Earth's atmosphere. The atmosphere of the mountain top is extremely dry and almost free of clouds. This makes it an ideal location for an observatory. This is one of the few places to see snow in Hawaii - the altitude is high enough and cold enough to accumulate snow.


In Hawaiian mythology, the peaks of the island of Hawaii are sacred and Mauna Kea is one of the most sacred. Ancient law only allowed high-ranking tribal leaders to visit this peak. Ancient Hawaiians living on the slopes of Mauna Kea relied on its vast forests for food and mined basalt on its slopes for tool making. In recent years, concerns about the vulnerability of the native species have led to lawsuits that have forced the Department of Land and Natural resources destroy all wild species on the mountain.

Even from school, it is known that the most high mountain on Earth - Everest (Chomolungma). This is true if the height of the mountain is measured only above sea level. In this regard, the question arises, which is the highest mountain in the world, Mauna Kea or Everest?

Not everyone knows that there are mountains on Earth that grow from the “bottom of the sea”. Mount Mauna Kea, located in the Hawaiian Islands, is one of them. It rises from the ocean, leaving almost 6,000 meters under water. Only a small part of it rises above the surface of the water - only 4205 meters. This fact contributed to the classification of Mauna Kea to low mountains... The real height of the dormant volcano is over 10,200 meters. If you measure the distance from the base of the mountain to its top, it turns out that Chomolungma is not the highest mountain. The victory will go to Mauna Kea - a sleeping volcano.


Local tribes call it "White Mountain" because of the abundance of snow on the slopes, which is very popular among skiers. Among the local tribes, Mauna Kea is considered sacred mountain... It is almost a million years old. Only the leaders of the tribe can climb to the top of a sleeping volcano to communicate with spirits.

For many centuries, the mountain fed and clothed the indigenous tribes, gave them material for construction. But lately everything has changed. The once dense and impenetrable forests have significantly thinned out, rare representatives of flora and fauna have disappeared or are on the verge of extinction. This happened due to the violation of the eco - system due to the active reproduction of imported from " big land»Animals and deforestation by Europeans.

Every year, "White Mountain" is visited by tourists from all over the world to admire the beautiful views and go skiing. The attraction of Mauna Kea is a large observatory with 13 powerful telescopes, which is not at the top. The favorable climate on its slopes, as well as convenient humidity indicators, make observations here as comfortable as possible for scientists, allowing them to make unexpected discoveries.

Answering the question which mountain is higher - White Mountain or Everest, it is safe to say that White Mountain is higher. Chomolungma rises above sea level at 8848 meters, which is less than the height of Mauna Kea by more than a kilometer.
Despite this, the most popular among the conquerors of the mountains is Everest. This is explained by its impressive height. Every year, thousands of people strive to visit the summit of Everest, despite all the dangers that may lie in wait for them while climbing. At the same time, many also dream of conquering the top of Mauna Kea. Despite the seemingly "easy" to overcome 4200 meters, it is not so easy to do this, as even experienced climbers are convinced of.

According to official estimates, Mount Everest is 8,848 meters above sea level. The first to establish that Everest is the highest in the world mountain peak, was the Indian mathematician Radhanat Sikdar. This happened in 1852. The strongest winds blow at the top of Everest, the speed of which can reach 200 kilometers per hour.

Taking into account the acclimatization and installation of camps, the ascent to the top of Chomolungma, on average, takes about two months. It is believed that the most difficult area to climb is the last 300 meters, which are dubbed "the longest mile on Earth" by successful climbers of Everest. The complexity of this section lies in the fact that a person needs to overcome a very steep and smooth stone slope, which is covered with fine slippery snow. In addition to the obvious dangers of mountaineering, the difficulties in climbing Everest also lie in the high rarefaction of the atmosphere; in low temperatures down to -60 ° C and in high solar radiation at altitudes.

Chimborazo is the farthest point from the center of the Earth

Chimborazo is an inactive volcano located in mountain range Andes in Ecuador. The peak of Mount Chimborazo is located at an altitude of 6267 meters, but since it is not an ideal sphere, but a geoid, the peak of Chimborazo is the farthest point from the center of the Earth. Despite the fact that Chimborazo is 2,580 meters lower compared to Everest, it is still 2,168 kilometers farther than the center of the Earth than highest point Mount Everest. Until the early 19th century, Chimborazo was considered the highest peak on Earth.

Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain considering the foot located at the bottom of the ocean

The height of the Mauna Kea mountain, which is located on the island of Hawaii, is 4205 meters above sea level. However, most of this mountain is under water: if you take into account its height, taking into account the foot, which is at the bottom of the ocean, the height of Mauna Kea is about 10 kilometers. In addition, due to the height and lack of light pollution in the area, Mauna Kea is one of the most best places in the world for astronomical observations. The mountain has 13 telescopes from 11 countries.

The Mariana Trench is the deepest place on Earth

According to the latest research, deepest point The Mariana Trench, called the "Challenger Abyss", is located at a depth of 10994 meters. If you put the most high summit world - Everest - to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, then it will be covered with another two kilometers of water. Mariana Trench is located in the western Pacific Ocean near the Mariana Islands.

The Dead Sea Coast is the lowest land mass on Earth

Coast Dead sea is 430 meters below sea level, making it the lowest land mass on Earth. In addition, the Dead Sea is one of the saltiest lakes in the world - it is 9.6 times saltier than the ocean. This salinity creates harsh conditions in which the familiar plant and animal species in the waters of the Dead Sea cannot thrive. This is where its name comes from.

Bouvet Island is the world's most remote island from the mainland

Bouvet Island is an uninhabited volcanic island located in the southern part Atlantic Ocean... 93% of its territory is covered with glaciers. The closest land to the island is Gough Island, located about 1,600 kilometers from Bouvet Island. The closest mainland to Bouvet Island is the coastline, which is 1,700 kilometers away. The average annual temperature in this place ranges from 0 ° C to -3 ° C.

Death Valley is one of the hottest places in the world

Death Valley is a desolate valley located in the western United States. On July 10, 1913, the highest air temperature on Earth was recorded here - + 56.7 ° C. The average maximum temperature in July reaches 46 ° C and drops to 31 ° C at night. The valley is surrounded by mountains, and its surface, almost devoid of plants, is mostly flat. When the air at ground level heats up, it begins to rise, moving up steep high mountain ranges, which then cools slightly, moving back towards the ground. This heated air creates hot wind currents that prevent large amounts of clouds from passing over the valley.

Mauna Kea is one of the most amazing mountains in the world. It starts at the bottom of the ocean and reaches an altitude of 10205 meters. At the same time, a significant part of this rocky formation is hidden under water. On the surface, only a peak with a height of 4205 meters is visible. As a result, it is Mauna Kea that holds the world record for altitude.

The highest mountain in the world, Mauna Kea, is a shield volcano, which more than 4.5 thousand years ago is completely inactive. This makes it completely safe for travel, hiking, climbing attempts and exploration. It is located on the island of Hawaii. Interestingly, even the part that can be seen above the water surface is considered the highest in this region.

The very name of Mauna Kea is also interesting. Translated from Hawaiian, it means "White Mountain". Such a "name" was given to the rocky formation for a reason. It happened back in those distant times, when snow and ice blocks were constantly lying on the top. Today it is observed from October to March, and in the rest of the year it all depends solely on weather conditions.

The local population is sure that the peak of the mountain is sacred. That is why there is an opinion that only the leaders of the tribe and high-ranking representatives have the right to climb to the top. For all others, the routes should be completely closed. However, the climbers, of course, did not adhere to local customs. For this, the local population did not like them. The Hawaiians themselves are in many troubles that are associated with Mauna Kea, for example, in snow avalanches, the extinction of flora and fauna is blamed on climbers. Today they look more favorably on attempts to conquer the summit.

Since ancient times, the forests that grow on the slopes of the mountain have been used by the local population for food. However, with the arrival of foreigners here, the flora and fauna began to change. Many animals and plants were brought here. They took root, but local plants began to "survive". As a result, the imported plants had to be abandoned in order to preserve the Hawaiian ecology and restore the natural balance.

Today, on the slopes of Mauna Kea, there are also observatories from different countries of the world. This is due to the fact that there are the most comfortable conditions for conducting research and astronomical observations - a mild climate and low humidity. It is here that NASA does research. Also at the top there is a unique observatory located above 40% of the earth's atmosphere. One of the observatories has the largest telescope with a mirror, which has no analogue in any other place on Earth.

Mount Mauna Kea located on Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific, is the highest on our planet... This statement is not an error - if measure from the base of the mountain, then " White Mountain"(this is how Mauna Kea is translated from Hawaiian) really above the glorified Everest... Her height is 10 203 meters... The fact is that the base of Mauna Kea is located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, and only the top is located above the surface of the water. But even if we carry on reading from sea level, then Mauna Kea is rightfully considered the highest not only in Hawaii, but in the entire Pacific Ocean — 4200 meters.

Of course, Mauna Kea is the main natural object islands of Hawaii - it takes over 20% of the island's area... Its volume is 3200 cubic kilometers, and a huge weight suppresses the oceanic crust by 6 km. The gigantic mass leads to gradual smoothing of the volcano- by 0.2 mm per year.

Since ancient times, Mauna Kea was considered the most sacred of the peaks of the island of Hawaii and used special reverence among the Hawaiians — only the leaders had the right to rise to its top. About Mauna Kea Hawaiians have many legends... It is believed that at its top lived the creator of the universe - the ancestor.

Hawaiian belief in the holiness of Mauna Kea and 4 other peaks Hawaiian Islands connected with the cult of Pele - the goddess Hawaiian volcanoes , personifying volcanic activity , her unpredictability and destructive power. Locals respect the goddess - glorify her in songs and dances, donate flowers and berries to her... There is a belief that before the eruption, Pele appears to people disguised as an old woman, and watching the lava flows, you can see the face of the goddess... It is believed that Pele can punish someone who is disrespectful to Mauna Kea- according to one of the legends, a man who took from the mountain beautiful lava clot, angered the goddess and died a few days later from a sudden illness.

Along with Pele, Hawaiian mythology also mentions Lilinoe is the goddess of the volcanoes Muan-Kea and Haleakala. There are many legends about confrontation between Lilinoe and Pele, which resulted in eruptions when Pele tried to conquer her opponent with fire, but Lilinoe and her friend Poliachu always win covering snow mountain peaks... The water from the melting snow flows down the slopes, providing soil fertility and life of Hawaiians.

From point of view geology Mauna Kea is board volcano arisen 1 million years ago, and survived the peak of their activity at the age of 500 thousand years. Last thing major eruption It happened about 4-6 thousand years ago... Today the volcano is considered inactive and as safe as possible... Mauna Kea belongs to five, the so-called hotspots in Hawaii... Among the five volcanoes, it occupies 4th in terms of age and activity.

The volcano is ecologically divided into 3 belts — alpine belt covered snow from November to March(before the snow at the peak lay practically all year round, which gave the name Mauna Kea - "White Mountain"). The peak of Mauna Kea is characterized by high level of solar radiation, very strong winds and rather low temperatures. Second belt- forests, which are thickets of golden sophora and sandalwood... Sophora golden leaf is a bean tree found only in Hawaii... The lowest zone - acacia forests.

Since ancient times forest slopes volcano gave the natives everything they needed for food, without breaking the fragile ecological balance. But in the 18th century after the appearance of Europeans on the island local nature collided with strong human pressure. The emergence of pets, new plant species, not found in Hawaii, sugarcane cultivation - all these negative factors have led to ecological disaster, displacement of native flora and fauna... To date, an unprecedented decision has been made to preserve the environment - eradicate imported plant and animal species... Among the surviving rare animals Mauna Kea can be noted wolf spider able to live at an altitude of over 4200 meters and butterfly "Forest Shawl", which also adapted to survival in the conditions cold highlands.

As in many other places of power, the economic use of Mauna Kea is carried out practically without taking into account the fact that for the local population is not just a mountain, but a sacred object of worship. This applies in particular construction on top of numerous scientific structures... It should be noted that Mauna Kea one of the best in the land of places for astronomical observations: clean air, low humidity, fair weather, close to the equator. Today at the top of the volcano there are 13 telescopes from 11 countries. Such a neighborhood has its advantages - the constant scrupulous control of the activity of the volcano by scientists practically excludes its sudden eruption.

First confirmed ascent on Mauna Kea dates from 1823 year- it was undertaken by a certain Josey Goodrich.

Today, thanks to comfortable conditions- to the peak of Mauna Kea the road has been paved, suitable for off-road vehicles, sacred mountain visit annually about 100 thousand tourists... In winter, when the snow is denser, it is common here skiing. The view from the top of Mauna Kea can be called stunning - many say that it one of the most beautiful on our planet.