Everest Is NOT the World's Tallest Mountain!

First, let's be clear: Mount Everest is the world's tallest mountain—as long as you measure from sea level, which has been the custom. This article aims to explain why this practice was adopted and to tell a bit of the history behind these measurements and their interests.

A bit of history

Measuring mountains from sea level was fine a few centuries ago. After all, it was relatively easy to do, because scientists could measure atmospheric pressure at a given location with a barometer, and calculate the elevation of that place relative to sea level with a simple formula. Most altimeters, even today, work this way. There are a number of additional variables that can influence the calculation, such as pressure variations, temperature, latitude, etc., but for practical purposes the result was acceptable. That's why the elevations of places began to be measured this way.

But there was a problem: to measure the altitude of a mountain with this method you had to carry a barometer to its summit. Today, mountaineers usually carry one in their pocket, but imagine about two hundred years ago when the highest mountains were first being measured and the measurement equipment consisted of precarious, fragile, bulky, and heavy contraptions, some the size of furniture. Sometimes scientists had to haul their equipment with the help of mules, horses, and even people. Long caravans of assistants accompanied the scientific missions of yesteryear. Because of these difficulties, to measure the height of the highest mountains, they didn't reach the summit itself, but rather got to a certain point from which the peak of the mountain could be seen, measured its barometric height, and from there, using topographic methods, employing some optics and calculating angles, determined the remaining height.

The methods described above have been used from long ago until today and were also used in 1802, when the United Kingdom initiated its topographic survey project in its colonies of the East Indies, where Everest was located.

It turns out that in those days, Everest wasn't even called that. Local inhabitants called it Chomolungma (actually, this is the westernized name), and despite its current fame, back then it was just another peak; so much so that the British expeditionaries in charge of the topographic project of the Indies (Great Trigonometrical Survey) had catalogued it as Peak 15. With no more sorrow or glory than that of a number—not even number one, but just another number.

Continuing with the history behind the measurements and their interests, it's important to highlight that Mount Everest became the world's tallest mountain primarily due to the work of the Great Trigonometrical Survey, a topographic project carried out by the United Kingdom in its East Indies colonies in the 19th century. At that time, Everest didn't bear that name, but was known as "Peak 15," a simple number without any special significance.

The Great Trigonometrical Survey, led by the distinguished British surveyor Sir George Everest, had as its main objective to make precise measurements of the mountains in the region. However, due to the technical and logistical limitations of the era, the scientists were unable to reach Everest's summit to take direct measurements of its height. Instead, they carried out barometric measurements and used topographic methods to determine the remaining height.

The work of the Great Trigonometrical Survey was an impressive feat for its time and laid the groundwork for future altitude measurements around the world. However, it's important to note that these measurements were based on the sea level reference, a common practice at that time that has endured to the present day.

Everest has been considered the tallest mountain since the 19th century

Since then, Everest has been widely recognized as the world's tallest mountain. Its prominence and majesty have made it an iconic symbol of human achievement and a challenge for mountaineers around the world. However, if we consider other references for measuring the height of a mountain, we find that there are other equally impressive contenders.

If we measure the height of a mountain from the center of the Earth, taking into account the ellipsoidal shape of the planet, we find that Mount Chimborazo, in Ecuador, rises as the world's tallest mountain. This is because the Equator is closer to the center of the Earth compared to the poles, due to the planet's flattened shape at the poles and bulging at the equator. As a result, the summit of Chimborazo is farther from the center of the Earth than the summit of Everest.

The world's tallest mountain is Chimborazo, in Ecuador

Mount Chimborazo, with an altitude of 6,267 meters above sea level, may seem inferior compared to Everest's impressive 8,848 meters. However, if we take into consideration the radius of the Earth and the way height is measured from the center of the planet, Chimborazo rises imposingly as the tallest mountain.

This perspective demonstrates how the choice of reference used to measure the height of a mountain can lead to different conclusions. Everest, with its widespread recognition as the world's tallest mountain, is based on measurements taken from sea level, a widely accepted convention. On the other hand, if we consider the measurement from the center of the Earth, Chimborazo claims its title as the tallest mountain.

It's important to keep in mind that both Everest and Chimborazo are natural wonders and each possesses its own distinctive grandeur and beauty. The choice of which is the world's tallest mountain depends on the context and the reference used to measure its height.

In conclusion, Mount Everest is considered the world's tallest mountain when measured from sea level, a practice established centuries ago. However, if we consider the measurement from the center of the Earth, Mount Chimborazo, in Ecuador, rises as the tallest mountain due to the ellipsoidal shape of the planet. Both perspectives are valid and allow us to appreciate the diversity and complexity of our planet and its natural wonders.

Below are some articles that address the topic with a similar approach:

• https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2016/04/160407_por_que_chimborazo_ecuador_mas_lejos_centro_tierra_que_el_everest_dgm
• https://www.nytimes.com/es/2016/05/20/espanol/quitate-everest-el-volcan-chimborazo-en-ecuador-es-la-montana-mas-alta-del-mundo-segun-como-se-mire.html
• https://elpais.com/elpais/2016/04/06/media/1459968136_940253.html

References:

1. Kargel, J. S. (2004). Everest: A topographic playland. Geotimes, 49(6), 12-15.
2. Brown, D. (1994). The Story of Maps. Tormont Publications.
3. James, G., & Everest, M. (2003). George Everest: Geodetic explorer of the Himalaya. Survey Review, 37(291), 342-352.
4. de Ferranti, J., Maizlish, A., Maizlish, N., & Hawley, W. (2001). The height of Everest. WorldMountaineering.com.