The highest point of the land is the mountain. Highest mountains in the world: Seven Peaks

  • 10.02.2020

Data from the 2014 global model of the Earth, where the farthest points from the center of the Earth are indicated with brighter colors

Based on some recent measurements, it was found that the polar radius of the Earth (that is, the distance from the center of the planet to one pole or another) is 6356.8 kilometers, while the equatorial radius (from the center to the equator) is 6378.1 kilometers. In other words, objects located along the equator are 22 kilometers further from the center of the Earth (geocenter) than objects located at the poles.

Naturally, it is worth considering some topographic changes in certain areas, where some objects located near the equator are closer to the center, while others are farther from the center of the Earth, in comparison with other objects in a particular region. The most notable exceptions are Mariana Trench (most deep place on Earth, depth 10,911 meters) and Mount Everest, whose height above sea level is 8,848 meters. However, these two geological features represent very little difference when considering the general shape of the Earth. The difference in this case is only 0.17 percent and 0.14 percent, respectively.

Highest point on earth

In fairness, we note that Everest is indeed one of the highest points on our planet. The height at its peak is 8848 meters above sea level. However, due to its location in the Himalayan chain (27 degrees 59 minutes north of the equator), it is actually lower than the mountains located in Ecuador.

Mount Chimborazo

It is here, where the Andes mountain range is located, that the highest point on planet Earth is located. The height of Chimborazo Mountain is 6263.47 meters above sea level. However, due to its location (1 degree 28 minutes south of the equator) in the highest bulging part of the planet, its total height from the geocenter is about 21 kilometers.

View of Mount Everest from the top of Kala Pathar

If we consider the issue in terms of the distance to the geocenter, Everest is located at a distance of 6382 kilometers from the center of the Earth, while Chimborazo is located at 6384 kilometers. The rounding difference is only about 3.2 kilometers, which at first glance may seem quite insignificant. However, when it comes to the ranks of the "best", you need to be precise.

Of course, even after such explanations, there will be people who will say with confidence that Mount Everest is still the highest point on the planet, if we consider its height from the foot (base) to the peak. Unfortunately, they are wrong here too. Because in this case, the title of the highest mountain goes to Mount Mauna Kea, a shield volcano located on the island of Hawaii. The height of the mountain from the base to the very top at Mauna Kea is 10,206 meters. This is the highest mountain on our planet. However, most of the mountain goes several thousand meters deep into the ocean, and therefore we can only see its peak 4207 meters high.

However, those who consider Everest itself high mountain according to its height above sea level, they will be right. If we consider its height as the height above sea level, then Everest is indeed the highest mountain in the world.

The tallest mountains in the world are some of the most majestic and beautiful things that can be blessed enough to witness in your life. All of them are located in Asia, and each will reach an altitude of over 8000 meters above sea level.

Here is a list of the top 10 tallest mountains in the world.

The highest peak of mother earth is Everest... Its peak rose above the sea line to an altitude of 8.848 km. This mountain belongs Himalayan ridge and comes in contact with China, Nepal, Tibet and Sagarmatha.

The top of the mountain has long been chosen by climbers, and even paved completely safe ascent paths, accessible even to novice mountain climbers.

2nd place

Pakistani Karakoruma K2 , from the peak of which you can see Tajikistan, Pakistan, China, far from safe for climbing, not all were able to conquer its 8.611 km peak, many generally stayed there forever.

3rd place

The peak of the five treasures of God, consisting of precious stones, gold, silver, holy books and grain, is named the third highest peak Kanchenjunga ... The five peaks of the mountains, which are part of the great Himalayas, are visible from India and Nepal.

4th place

Lhotse , The southern peak of the Tibetan mountains from the Everest side rises above the sea line at an altitude of 8.516 km - the main peak, and two adjacent ones rise at heights of 8.414 km and 8.383 km, respectively. This majestic mountain range lies between Nepal and Tibet.

5th place

Makalu , the fifth of the most high peaks, 8,481 meters (27,825 ft) and is located southeast of Peak Everest on the border between two countries, China and Nepal. One of the eight-thousanders, Makalu is an isolated peak, its shape is a four-sided pyramid.

6th place

Cho Oyu , 8201 meters high above the sea line, named "Turquoise Goddess" in translation from Tibetan. The mountain is the main western peak of the Khumbu subdivision of the Himalayas, located east of the mountain Everest, between Tibet and Nepal.

Dhaulagiri is the seventh tallest mountain in the world, which peaks at 8.167 m. It is located north of central Nepal. Its name means "White Mountain". This mountain, along with Annapurna, is more dramatic than most other mountains in terms of injury and death. It is an amazing sight, when several peaks visually converge together, and one of the main reasons why, for thirty years, it was believed that Dhaulagiri is the highest mountain in the world.

8th place

Manaslu Is the eighth highest mountain in the world, and is located in Mansiri-Himalaya, in the west-central part of Nepal. "Mountain of spirit", the name comes from the word Manas, meaning "intellect" or "soul", they call it locals... This peak was officially conquered in May 1956 by the Japanese Toshio Imanishi and Galsen Norbu.

9th place

Nanga Parbat , whose peak is located at an altitude of 8126 m, is translated as "Naked Mountain", better known as "Killer Mountain". This title was awarded to the summit because of the difficulty and danger of climbing. This mountain is a majestic peak that rises above Pakistan's surroundings.

The majestic series of peaks of the Himalayas in north-central Nepal called Annapurna, the highest of which is called Annapurna I, is the tenth highest mountain in the world. It is located in the central part of Nepal and rushes up to 8091 meters. Its peaks are among the most dangerous even for professional climbers. The mortality rate here is about 40%.

There are many high mountains in the world that climbers managed to conquer. but the highest mountain in the world remained unconquered for a long time.

The highest mountain in the world

The highest mountain in the world is Chomolungma (Everest). Its height is 8,848 m above sea level.

At the same time, it is worth paying attention to the clarification "above sea level", because if you measure the height of the mountain from the core, then the record will belong to the extinct Chimborazo in Ecuador.

Everyone knows that our planet has the shape of an ellipse. From this it follows that the mountains located near the equator are higher than in other areas of the Earth.


Height from center of earth

In this regard, Chimborazo is located closer to the convex center of the Earth than any other mountains, including Everest.

Hardest mountain for climbers

Considering all these facts, the question involuntarily arises: why is Everest the most popular mountain in the world, while the Ecuadorian Chimborazo (6384 m) remains in the shadows?

This is largely due to the difficulties in climbing Chomolungma.

Let's imagine that we want to conquer both of these peaks.

Climbing Chomolungma

In order to climb Everest, you initially have to walk to the base camp.

This part of the journey will take you about 10 days. After that, it will take another month and a half for just one acclimatization!


View of Everest from the plane

Then you will have to climb directly to the very top for about 9 more days. And this is the most difficult part of the path.

Climbing Chimborazo

Now let's imagine how long it will take to conquer Chimborazo.

During the ascent, acclimatization will take you no more than 2 weeks, and the way to the summit will not exceed 2 days.


Chimborazo

From all that has been said, we can conclude that after Everest, the ascent to the Ecuadorian summit will seem to you an evening walk.

"Above" and "below" sea level

So, Everest is the highest point on the planet above sea level.

However, speaking of the very high mountain in the world, and considering some other factors, it is appropriate to recall another grief.

If you measure the absolute height from the base to the top, then the highest mountain will be Mauna Kea, located in the territory.


Mauna Kea

It may be difficult for some to understand what this is about, so let's sort out this confusion in order.

Unlike Everest, most mauna Kea mountains is under the surface of the water.

Thus, if we measure the height from the base (under water) to the top, it will be 10203 m, which is 1355 m higher than Chomolungma.


Everest and Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea is an extinct volcano that last erupted approximately 4,600 years ago. An interesting fact is that there are 13 telescopes at the top of this mountain.

This is due to the fact that there is a very low level of humidity and clear skies. Thanks to this, astronomers can track celestial objects while studying outer space.

Highest mountains on every continent

  1. Europe - (5 642 m)
  2. - Kilimanjaro (5895 m)
  3. Asia - Everest (8 848 m)
  4. - Aconcagua (6,962 m)
  5. North America - McKinley (6,190 m)
  6. Antarctica - Vinson Massif (4 892 m)
  7. - Kostsyushko (2,228 m)

And now let's go back to the highest mountain in the world - Chomolungma, and get to know not only it geographic features, but also how the person conquered her.

Chomolungma is located on the Mahalangur-Himal ridge in the Himalayas. It occupies such a large area that its base is located in Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Over the centuries, the mountain has attracted the attention of many people who wanted to be on its top. As a result, hundreds of climbers died trying to conquer Chomolungma.

Attempts to conquer Chomolungma

It is officially believed that Briton George Mallory was the first climber to attempt to climb the mountain. However, he and his partner never succeeded in achieving their goal.

They died on one of the slopes of Chomolungma back in 1924. Interestingly, their bodies were discovered only in 1999.According to experts, they were only 200 meters short of conquering. mountain peak.

After this expedition, many more daredevils tried to get to the peak of Everest, but all of them either died or returned back, not daring to set foot on the most dangerous sections of the path.

As mentioned earlier, climbing Mount Chomolungma is accompanied by many different difficulties:

  • High rarefaction of the atmosphere (lack of oxygen);
  • Low temperature (below -50 ° C);
  • Hurricane winds, as a result of which the human body feels frosts down to -120 ° C;
  • Sunny ;
  • Frequent avalanches, steep slopes, falling into crevices.

The first ascent of the highest mountain in the world

When did the first successful ascent to the highest mountain on earth take place?

And it happened a little more than half a century ago.

On May 29, 1953, New Zealander Edmund Hillary, together with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, were able to conquer Everest, as a result of which they became the first people to find themselves on its top.

It is worth noting that before embarking on an expedition, they carefully prepared for it.

The climbers took oxygen equipment with them and chose the most convenient route. Having reached an altitude of 8500 m, they set up a tent for spending the night.

The climbers woke up in the morning to find their boots covered in ice.

It took them about 2 hours to unfreeze their shoes and make the last dash to conquer Everest.

A few hours later they were already at the summit, on which they spent about 15 minutes. During this time, the climbers took several photos and planted a flag.

Having descended to earth, they immediately became real heroes. The entire world press wrote about their feat, wanting to know all the details of the expedition.

In subsequent years, Chomolungma was conquered by climbers from different countries... The first woman to reach the top was the Japanese Junko Tabei (1976).

Despite the fact that today hundreds of people continue to die on Everest, this mountain is still of the greatest interest to fans of extreme sports.

It is curious that Chomolungma was conquered in a variety of ways. They climbed it without oxygen masks, descended from its summit on skis and snowboard, and also competed in the time spent on its ascent.


View of the northern wall of Chomolungma from the trail leading to the base camp

An interesting fact is that the youngest person who has visited the highest mountain in the world is a 13-year-old Indian girl Purna Malavath, and the oldest person is 72-year-old American Bill Berg.

According to official data, more than 260 people died on the slopes of the mountain, and about 8,300 climbers have already conquered the summit of Chomolungma.

Who knows what other records will be set in the future, but it can be said with certainty that Everest will forever remain the most popular mountain in the world.

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We invite you to look at the world from the lowest points of the Earth - and there are such places on every continent, they are located much below sea level. In the selection I will tell you about seven such places.

There are many places on the planet where you are standing on dry land, while the level of the world's oceans suggests that you are actually submerged. Let's start with the Dead Sea in Asia. Also called the Salt Sea, it is located between Palestine, Israel and Jordan. Its shores and surface are located at 422 meters below sea level. This is the lowest land area on earth

Next comes Lake Assal in Africa, located in Djibouti, Ethiopia, which lies 155 meters below sea level in the Afar lowlands. It is the lowest land area in Africa and the second on Earth after the Dead Sea. The water here is one of the saltiest in the world - 34.8% salt concentration, which exceeds the concentration in the Dead Sea and ten times the salinity level in the ocean



There is a place in Antarctica called Vestfold Hills, which is 50 meters below sea level. For your information, the deepest place on Earth not covered by liquid water is the Bentley Trench in Antarctica with a depth of 2,555 meters below sea level. The depression is covered with a huge layer of ice. The deepest place on Earth covered with liquid water is the Mariana Trench


There are similar places in North America... Death Valley is a desert located in the southwestern United States. Located within the Mojave Desert, the intermontane trough is the lowest, driest, and hottest place in America. The Badwater site in Death Valley is the lowest spot in the United States, 86 meters below sea level. Surprisingly, this point is only 76 miles east of Mount Whitney, the highest point at 4,422 meters. Death Valley is also considered to be home to some of the warmest temperatures on Earth, with temperatures rising to 56.7 ° C at Furnace Creek on July 13, 1913. Above is only the world record of 58 °, recorded in Libya on September 13, 1922

IN South America is Laguna Del Carbon with a depth of 105 meters below sea level. Laguna del Carbon (Coal Lagoon) is salt lake and is located in Argentina. It is the lowest point in the Western in the Southern Hemispheres and the seventh lowest point on Earth. Pay attention to the quality of the road surface in the Argentine desert ...

The lowest point in Europe is the Caspian Sea. Its basin area is 371,000 square kilometers, which is about 10 percent of the world's territory of indoor water basins. The ancient inhabitants considered the Caspian Sea an ocean, probably because of its salinity and seeming immensity. The sea is closed lake, and its water is salty, with an average salinity of 1.2%. It is the lowest place in Europe with a depth of 28 meters below the level

We visited each of the continents, only Australia remained. There is also such a place here - Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia at a depth of 15 meters below sea level in the very center of the huge Eyre basin, the very big lake Australia


It is difficult to determine from photographs, but almost everywhere the ocean was at least 20 meters higher than the point where the photographer was standing ... Is it not surprising that such places exist on Earth?

Since Sir Edmund Hillary reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1953, thousands of climbers have been eager to repeat his feat. With the impressive title of “the tallest mountain in the world,” Everest has been visited by so many people that every year this Himalayan beauty gradually turns into literally a garbage dump.

Everest - the highest mountain in the world (∼ 8,848 m)

When we say which is the tallest mountain in the world, we usually think about the height above sea level. And if we take this parameter, then the height of the mountain (8849 meters above sea level) is beyond competition. Everest extends higher into the atmosphere than any other peak in the world.

However, the farthest point from the center of the Earth, and therefore the highest in terms of distance, is Chimborazo (6384 meters above sea level). It is a stratovolcano in Ecuador, which is part of mountain range Andes.

The earth is not flat, it bulges out at the equator and flattens near the poles. This means that mountains near the equator are technically taller than other areas of the planet. And it so happened that Chimborazo is closer to the convex center of the Earth than Everest. It turns out that she is closer to the stars than the most high point Mount Everest.

Hardest mountain for climbers

According to one report, Everest stretches 6382 meters from the center of the Earth. At the same time, Chimborazo stretches over a distance of 6384 meters. Although the difference in height between the two mountains is only 2 km, this is enough to transfer the title "highest mountain" to the Ecuadorian stratovolcano.

So why does Mount Everest continue to receive all the laurels while Chimborazo remains relatively unnoticed? It all comes down to the difficulty of climbing.

If you are a climber and want to test yourself by conquering Everest, then the way to the base camp will take 10 days. It will take another six weeks to acclimatize, and then the summit will take nine days. On the other hand, acclimatization at Chimborazo takes about two weeks, and the way to the top takes about two days. Simply put, after Everest, climbing Chimborazo will seem like a walk in the park.

Above and below sea level

Mount Everest is the highest point above sea level, but if we are talking about sheer height from base to top, then the honor to be called the highest mountain belongs to "White Mountain" (Mauna Kea) on the island of Hawaii. Its height above sea level is 4,205 meters, but the mountain goes 5,998 meters down to the bottom. More than half of the mountain is submerged in water.

Total height Mauna Kea is 10,203 meters. This is 1345 meters higher than the height of Everest.

Mauna Kea is actually extinct volcano on big island Hawaii. It originated about a million years ago when the tectonic plate The Pacific moved above a plume of liquid magma deep inside the Earth. The last time Mauna Kea erupted was about 4,600 years ago.

The top of the mountain is a paradise for astronomers: It has low humidity, clear skies above it, and a great distance from any light pollution. That is, from the top of the volcano opens, possibly best view to celestial objects. Currently, there are 13 telescopes at the peak of Mauna Kea.

It is important to note once again that Everest is the highest of the tallest mountains when measured from sea level. If you use this parameter, then Chimborazo cannot even count on the title of "highest peak in the Andes". This title belongs to Mount Aconcagua, which rises 6961 meters above sea level.

Highest mountains on every continent

  1. In Asia - Mount Everest (8,849 meters).
  2. In South America - Mount Aconcagua (6,961 meters).
  3. In North America - Mount McKinley (6,190 meters).
  4. In Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 meters).
  5. In Europe - Mount Elbrus (5 642 meters)
  6. In Antarctica - Vinson Massif (4,897 meters).

In Australia - Oceania - Mount Punchak Jaya (4,884 meters) in Oceania and Mount Kosciusko is the highest point on the Australian continent (2,228 meters).

Top 10 tallest mountains in the world

The problem with measurement is that it is often not clear where the dividing line lies between a mountain with several peaks and a single mountain. For this reason, it is best to use a measurement called topographic elevation (the height of a mountain peak above the bottom of the valley closest to the mountain). Considering first of all this criterion, and secondly the height above sea level, we have compiled a rating of the highest points of the Earth.




Topographic elevation - 4,741 m.

It rises above sea level by 5,642 m.

Mount Elbrus is an extinct volcano located in the western part Caucasian ridge, in Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia, not far from the Russian-Georgian border. This is the highest peak in the Caucasus.


The excess is 4 884 m.

Height - 4 884 m.

This mountain, located on the Australian plate on the island New Guinea originally bore the name of the discoverer - the Dutchman Jan Carstens. In 1965, it changed its name in honor of the Indonesian President Sukarno, and in 1969 it was renamed for the third time, in Jaya (in Indonesian for Victory), and this was stopped for now.


The excess is 4 892 m.

The height of the summit is 4 892 m.

Record holders of Antarctica and part of the Ellsworth Mountains, which rise above the Ronne Ice Shelf.


Elevation - 4 922 m

Altitude according to GPS data - 5636 m, according to INEGI data - 5611 m.

Stratovolcano, the highest mountain in Mexico and the third largest in North America. Orizaba last erupted in 1687, after which it "fell asleep" and does not wake up to this day.


Topographic elevation - 5 250 m

Height above sea level - 5 959 m.

The highest mountain in Canada and the second in North America, after McKinley. Due to the active tectonic uplift, Logan is still growing in height. Until 1992, the exact height of the mountain was unknown and was assumed to be in the range from 5,959 to 6,050 meters. In May 1992, a GSC expedition climbed Logan and established the current altitude of 5,959 meters using GPS.


Topographic elevation - 5 585 m.

Above sea level - 5 776 m

Highest point in Colombia. The Colombian peak of Simon Bolivar is almost equal to it in height. Together they are the two closest peaks of the country to the stars.


Topographic elevation - 5,885 m.

Above sea level - 5,895 m.

Kilimanjaro and its three volcanic cones (Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira) are dormant volcanic mountain in National park Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa. There is no documented evidence of the eruption of Kilimanjaro, but local legends say that the volcano was active 150-200 thousand years ago.


Topographic elevation - 6,144 m

Height above sea level - 6,190 m

The two-headed Mount McKinley (aka Denali), located in Alaska, is the highest mountain peak in the United States and North America. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was called Big mountain and was the highest point of the Russian Empire.


Topographic elevation - 6,962 m.

Above sea level - 6,962 m.

The highest mountain in the Americas. It is located in the Andes mountain range, in the Argentine province of Mendoza. In 2013, the youngest climber, nine-year-old American Tyler Armstrong, climbed the mountain. And last year, Aconcagua was conquered by the youngest mountaineer, 12-year-old Romanian Dor Jeta Popescu.

1. Mount Everest (Chomolungma)


Topographic elevation - 8 848 m.

Height above sea level - 8 848 m.

The leader of the mountain charts was named after the English Colonel, Sir George Everest, who was India's chief surveyor from 1830 to 1843. Mount Everest is also known by the Tibetan name Chomolungma (Mother Goddess of Life Energy) and the Nepalese name Sagarmatha (Forehead of Heaven).

Where is the tallest mountain in the world

Chomolungma is located in the Mahalangur-Himal mountain range in the Himalayas. Part of it lies on the border of Nepal and China, part on the territory of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Many human triumphs and tragedies have been associated with Everest. George Mallory (UK) was the first climber to attempt the Everest storm. In 1924, he died near the summit and his remains were found only in 1999, but the body of his partner in the ligament, Andrew Irwin, was not found.

Mount Everest has been the inspiration for many Guinness World Records, from the simple fact that it is the world's tallest peak to the world's highest (by venue) concert.

Despite being named “the highest peak on Earth,” Everest is not the tallest mountain on the planet. That is, Everest has no equal in terms of altitude. But as for the height from the base to the top, then Mauna Kea in Hawaii, USA holds the palm. Its visible part is 4,205 meters, and everything else is under water. The total height of Mauna Kea reaches 10,203 meters.