Inspector_Crazy t1_j22wvfu wrote on December 29, 2022 at 6:46 AM

Reply to comment by SeattlePassedTheBall in TIL that the Hawaii’s Maunakea Volcano, the world’s tallest mountain, (10,210 m or 33,500 ft from base to peak) was first ascended successfully over three days in February 2021. Over half of it is underwater. by Fantastic_Ad1613

So why isn't the entire Tibetan Plateau counted as part of this? And for that matter the entire indian subcontinent? Still feels a bit arbitrary.

SeattlePassedTheBall t1_j22xfc8 wrote on December 29, 2022 at 6:53 AM

It certainly is a bit arbitrary and I'm not sure exactly what classifies as the mountain and what doesn't. Everest extends the furthest above sea level but the Tibetan Plateau is 17k feet above sea level so the mountain is "only" about 12k feet tall. Denali by the same logic is about 18,000.

You can take these shenanigans further too, Everest isn't the furthest from the center of the earth thanks to earth not being a perfect sphere (it is wider at the equator than the poles,) Chimborazo in Ecuador is.

AnAdvocatesDevil t1_j277tqh wrote on December 30, 2022 at 3:35 AM

The geographic term is "Prominance" and is actually pretty interesting to look up, but basically measures a mountain by the height from the minimum elevation between it and the next highest (parent) peak. Everest is the 'Parent' of every other mountain on earth by this system.