The tallest mountain you didn’t know was in the U.S. — Surpassing Everest by 1,500 meters
Mount Everest may be the tallest mountain measured from sea level, but Mauna Kea in Hawaii surpasses it in total height when measured from its base on the ocean floor.
Since decades, the world's highest mountain has been Mount Everest, standing at 8,848 meters above sea level. There exists, however, in America Mauna Kea, a formation that towers above Everest by height when one considers its foundation on the seafloor. Though its summit stands at 4,205 meters above sea level, its total height from the seafloor renders it the absolute title of the world's highest mountain.
In America, Mauna Kea is not just tall, but also unusual in how it was formed. While Everest started rising from the Earth's surface, Mauna Kea started beneath the ocean floor. Following centuries of volcanic eruption and lava flow, the mountain grew to its current height to be the world's tallest as well as most noticeable mountain, even though the majority of it lies beneath water under the ocean surface.
What is the tallest mountain in the world, located in the United States?
Mauna Kea, located in the middle of Hawaii, U.S., dominates Everest by nearly 2,000 meters if its base on the ocean floor is also counted and included to its peak, measuring 10,205 meters high. Although its peak is only some 4,200 meters above sea level, its true height lies in its enormous rise from the ocean floor at the bottom of the Pacific
What are other major mountains on Earth besides Everest?
In addition to Everest and Mauna Kea, mountains exist in our world that reduce us to wordlessness in terms of awe-inspiring height or historical significance. In Tanzania lies Kilimanjaro, king of the plains in Africa. Aconcagua is to chide to those climbing the Andes mountain chain in South America.
Denali is the supreme king of north Alaska in overpowering grandeur. In Ecuador, Chimborazo is an unusual distinction: though not the highest above sea level, its summit is the closest point on the planet to space since the planet bulges out towards the equator.
Which mountain holds the Guinness World Record for being the tallest in the world?
Though Mauna Kea stands taller when measured from its base on the ocean floor, Mount Everest is still the tallest mountain in the Guinness World Record book because its height is measured from sea level, the standard most widely accepted.
This measure ensures that mountain heights are uniformly and uniformly comparable all over the world.
