Earth
Everest Isn't the Tallest Mountain
Which mountain is "tallest" depends on how you measure. Everest wins only when you count from sea level. Measured from its base on the ocean floor, Hawai'i's Mauna Kea is bigger, and because Earth bulges at the equator, Ecuador's Chimborazo reaches farthest from the planet's center.
The numbers
- Everest stands 8,848 m above sea level.
- Mauna Kea rises about 10,211 m from the ocean floor.
- Chimborazo's summit is about 2 km farther from Earth's center than Everest's.
Sources cited in the video: USGS · NOAA Ocean Service · NASA Earth Fact Sheet · NASA Blue Marble
