What is the furthest point from the center of the Earth?

The summit of Everest rises to 8,848 meters above sea level, but it is not the furthest point on Earth's surface. Where is it then?

Around the world in 6 summits Africa, the Americas, Antarctica, Asia, Europe and Oceania each have their superb highlight. All snow-capped – although Kilimanjaro sees its white cap narrowing – they magnetically attract high-level mountaineers. Discover with us these superb and exceptional places.

Nobody existed on Earth here are millions or billions of years to measure the height of a mountain, and the geological archives do not allow to have any certainty as for the size of the highest peak having existed on our planet.

There is therefore no reason to believe that the height of Everest has a particular value which would make it the highest peak above the sea ​​level never existed on Earth. In the past, a summit a few meters higher could most likely have existed.

What is the maximum height of a mountain?

What is certain, however, is that the maximum possible height of a Mountain depends on the size of a planet, like the physicist Victor Weisskopf has shown this by simple calculations (the maximum height of a mountain depends on the inverse of the radius of the planet). There is a critical value for the Earth of about 27 km.

Basically, if a mountain becomes too high, it exerts on its base a pressure capable of liquefying rock. For the same reason, a rocky celestial body exceeding a certain critical radius can no longer be irregular, as manyasteroids, but takes a spherical shape, as a liquid. Surprisingly, in all these cases, a slightly more detailed calculation shows that the maximum sizes depend on the Planck constant, therefore laws of Quantum mechanics.

The summit of Chimborazo, the most distant point from the center of the Earth

The Earth having an ellipsoid shape, whose radius is about 21 km larger at theEcuador than at the poles, and as the Chimborazo (6.263 m) is close to this equator, more than theEverest, it is sometimes considered the highest peak in the world. Of course, this is not the highest peak above sea level, but the most distant point from the center of the Earth.

K2, the "merciless mountain" With 8,611 meters, the K2 is the second highest peak in the world, located on the border between China and Pakistan in the Karakoram range. However, it is considered to be much more difficult to climb and dangerous than Everest. Only a little over 300 climbers reached the summit and 81 people perished there. To date, no climb has been undertaken in winter due to the extreme conditions. © Maria Ly CC BY 2.0

Denali, one of the most difficult summits to climb At 6,190 meters, the Denali (formerly Mount McKinley) is the highest point in North America. Located in Alaska, it places extreme conditions on climbers, making it one of the most difficult mountains to climb. The first ascent of Denali dates from 1913. Each year an average of 1,200 mountaineers take on the summit. © Nic McPhee – CC BY-SA 2.0

Everest, the highest peak in the world This view shows the north face of Everest, said to be the most difficult to reach the summit, which rises to 8,848 meters. Located in the Mahalangur Himal, a Himalayan massif, Everest is the highest of the seven peaks. Besides the danger of its ascent (more than 200 people lost their lives there), this mountain also imposes extreme climatic conditions: down to -60 ° C during the coldest period (January) and -19 ° C during the hottest month (July). © Luca Galuzzi CC by-sa 3.0

Kilimanjaro, the king of the African continent In north-eastern Tanzania rises Kilimanjaro (5,891.8 meters). It is a set of three extinct volcanoes that are the Shira (3,962 meters), the Mawenzi (5,149 meters) and the Kibo whose peak Uhuru is the highest point in Africa. Kilimanjaro is also known for its famous "eternal snow", an ice cap whose disappearance is expected in the coming decades. © Muhammad Mahdi Karim GFDL

Lhotse, the little brother of Everest With 8,516 meters, the Lhotse is one of 14 summits over 8,000 meters above sea level. It is located in the Himalayas and its Tibetan name means "southern peak" because it is smart health connected to Everest by the South Pass. Its name means peak of the south in Tibetan because it is a satellite summit of Everest from which it is separated by the south pass (7.906 meters). The first ascent of the Lhotse was carried out in 1956. © Mckaysavage CC by 2.0

Aconcagua, the "colossus of America" Located in Argentina, very close to the Chilean border, Aconcagua rises to 6,962 meters. Nicknamed the "colossus of America", it is the highest point of the Andes mountain range and also the highest peak outside of Asia. The first officially listed ascent took place in 1897, but evidence suggests that this mountain was occupied by the Quechuas long before that time. Acacongua is located in a semi-desert region which experiences little rainfall while being beaten by strong winds which can reach 250 km / h. © Nicolas Solop CC BY-NC 2.0

Chimborazo, the emblem of Ecuador The Chimborazo volcano located in Ecuador is the highest peak in the Ecuadorian Andes (6,268 meters). The last eruption took place over ten thousand years ago. The glacier supplies drinking water to the cantons of Bolivar and Chimborazo. The volcano is on the coat of arms of Ecuador. © Dabit100 CC by-sa 3.0

Mount Vinson reigns over Antarctica Mount Vinson was not discovered until late, in 1958, and the first ascent was not made until 1966. It is privileged to be one of the seven highest peaks on the seven continents. Due to its geographical location, Mount Vinson is exposed to a polar climate with temperatures that can reach -35 ° C at the top. This makes it difficult to climb. Since 1966, 1,100 people have climbed Mount Vinson. © Se7en Summits CC BY-NC 2.0

The Caucasian giant Elbrus Located in the North Caucasus, the Elbrus peaks at 5,642 meters above sea level. It is both the highest peak in Russia but also the Old European continent in front of Mont Blanc. Elbrus is originally a volcano which was active until the beginning of our era. It is characterized by two peaks separated by a collar. This massif produced almost a hundred glaciers, some of which are 400 meters thick. They feed the Baksan, Kouban and Malka rivers. © Philip Milne CC BY-NC 2.0

Kangchenjunga dethroned by Everest In Tibetan, Kangchenjunga means "the five treasures of snow". Located in the Himalayas on the border between India and Nepal, Kangchenjunga actually consists of four interconnected peaks, the highest of which rises to 8,586 meters. It was considered the highest peak in the world before ceding this title to Everest in 1856. © Tomabarker CC BY 3.0

Annapurna, the first "8,000" climbed by humans A giant from the Himalayas (Nepal), the Annapurna is unique in more ways than one. It is the first summit of more than 8,000 meters (8,091 meters exactly) to have been climbed by Men, moreover French (Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal in 1950). But this summit is also the one that has been conquered the least times (191 climbs) and has the highest mortality rate (32%). © Arite CC by-sa 3.0

Mont Blanc, the "Roof of Europe" Straddling Haute-Savoie in France and Aosta Valley in Italy, Mont Blanc dominates Western Europe from a height of 4,809 meters. This summit is one of the most legendary for all mountain enthusiasts. The object of abundant literature and cinematography, it was climbed in 1786. Relatively accessible to any well-trained person, the ascent of Mont Blanc has become very popular. Every year, between 2,000 and 3,000 people reach the top, but the business is still dangerous and fatal accidents occur almost every year. © Needle CC0 1.0

The Teide peak, in the Canaries The Teide or Teide peak is a volcano located in Spain on the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands). With an altitude of 3,715 or 3,718 meters, it is the highest peak in Spain. The last eruption dates back to 1909. The installation of a cable car that goes up to 3,555 meters makes the ascent accessible to a wide audience. Once at the top, visitors can admire the crater, 70 meters in diameter and 45 meters deep. © Joao Carlos Medau CC by 2.0

Mount Logan, Canada's highest point Located in Kluane National Park and Preserve, in the Yukon, Mount Logan is the highest peak in Canada (5,959 meters). This mountain has eleven peaks that exceed 5,000 meters above sea level. The first ascent was made in 1925. Today, the number of mountaineers reaching the summit each year does not exceed one hundred. © Isteffen CC by-sa 3.0

Nanga Parbat, the "Bare Mountain" in the Himalayas The ninth highest peak on Earth at 8,125 meters, the Nanga Parbat is also found in the Himalayas, Pakistan. Its name means "Bare Mountain" and it is considered to be one of the most difficult peaks to climb. The first ascent was successful in 1953, after thirty-one people lost their lives in this attempt. To date, there have been 186 successful Nanga Parbat climbs with 61 deaths. © Aasim85 CC by-sa 3.0

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