Measured from its base to its summit, which mountain is the tallest on Earth?
- Mount Everest
- Mauna Kea
- K2
- Denali
Why B? And why not the others?
Correct answer: B. Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea, a Hawaiian volcano, rises more than 10,210 meters (33,500 feet) from its base on the Pacific seafloor to its summit, yet only about 4,200 meters of it show above the waves. Mount Everest, at 8,848 meters, is the highest peak above sea level, which is why it feels like the obvious answer, but measured base-to-peak it is well over a kilometer shorter. K2 tempts as Everest's famous runner-up, yet it too is ranked by elevation above sea level. Denali really does boast one of the greatest base-to-peak rises on dry land, but even that is roughly half of Mauna Kea's full height. The lesson: 'highest' and 'tallest' are two different records, and the tallest mountain on Earth is mostly invisible.
Source: NOAA Ocean Service: 'What is the highest point on Earth as measured from Earth's center?' (oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/highestpoint.html)