This is an ‘html-only’ version of Scribblings with no database behind it. This means it is not possible to search it. I am working on a new version with which I am hoping to eventually put back into the main site. The new version is here but please note that there is no link directly back to the main site.
Monday, 29th November 2004
World’s highest mountain
I learned something new today. I learned that Mount Everest is not the highest mountain on Earth. In a manner of speaking anyway.
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Everest is generally reckoned to be the highest mountain because it stands 8850 metres above sea level. That would be it if it weren’t for one teeny little thing: the Earth is not a perfect sphere but bulges by some 20 km at the equator. There is a mountain in Ecuador called Mount Chimborazo which, while it stands only 6310 metres above sea level, is less than 2° from the equator. Because of the oblateness of the Earth this means it is some 2202 metres1 further from the centre than is Everest.
If the Earth had no oceans then distance from the centre would be a good candidate for measuring the height of mountains. To my mind it’s a better way of measuring it anyway so henceforth if anyone asks me which is the highest mountain in the world I think I’ll be tempted to say it’s Chimborazo. Just so long as I can remember how to pronounce it.
1 Although this source says that Chimborazo is 2202 metres higher than Everest this one says it is 3219 metres higher. Who knows which, if either, is correct?
An apology
Since moving the site to a new server Scribblings is not as easy to find your way around as it used to be. It used to depend on a script and a database on the server but is currently served as ‘flat html’.
I have some ideas about how to make it a bit easier but they depend on writing another script. I hope to get around to it ‘eventually’.
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