se7enW
Back to Which
🏆 which

Which Mountain Is the Tallest from Base to Peak?

GeographyGeology

Quick Answer

Mauna Kea in Hawaii is the tallest mountain from base to peak at about 10,211 metres (33,500 feet) — but over half is below sea level, so only 4,207 metres rise above the ocean surface.

The Full Story

Mount Everest is the highest point above sea level (8,849 metres), but measuring from base to peak tells a different story. Mauna Kea, a dormant shield volcano on Hawaii Big Island, rises about 10,211 metres from its base on the ocean floor to its summit — more than a kilometre taller than Everest. However, only 4,207 metres protrude above sea level. If we measure from the centre of the Earth (accounting for Earth equatorial bulge), Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador (6,263 metres above sea level) actually has the summit farthest from Earth centre, because it sits near the equator where Earth is about 21 km wider. These different measurements highlight that "tallest mountain" depends entirely on how you define it. Mauna Kea summit, at 4,207 metres in dry air above a stable ocean, hosts the world premier collection of astronomical observatories.

Key Facts

1.Mauna Kea rises approximately 10,211 metres from its base on the ocean floor to its summit — about 1,362 metres taller than Everest base-to-peak measurement.
2.Mount Chimborazo summit in Ecuador is about 6,384 km from Earth centre — 2.1 km farther than Everest summit — because of Earth equatorial bulge.
3.Mauna Kea summit hosts 13 telescopes operated by eleven countries, including the Keck Observatory with the world largest optical/infrared telescope mirrors at 10 metres diameter.

YouTube Angle

Suggested video title for this topic:

"Which Mountain Is REALLY the Tallest? — Everest vs Mauna Kea vs Chimborazo"