Monday, June 16, 2014

Day 39 – But Wait! There’s Actually a Taller Mountain than McKinley!

So yesterday I talked about Mount McKinley, which is the tallest mountain, measured base to peak, above sea level. However, there is a mountain even taller than McKinley, it’s just that most of the mountain is below sea level: Mauna Kea, in Hawaii. Measuring a whopping 33,100 feet from its underwater base to its peak, it is easily the tallest mountain in the world when you aren’t only counting above water measurements. (By the way, I think it’s cool that the world’s tallest mountains based on both above and below water measurements are not only both in the United States, but in the two noncontiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii!)

Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano, which last erupted 4,600 years ago. It now has an alpine climate at its summit and forest at its base. Because it has a high altitude at its peak (13,803 feet above sea level), is near the equator, has a dry environment, and has stable airflow, it is one of the best sites in the world for astronomical observation. Its peak is above 40% of Earth’s atmosphere and water vapor, and Hawaii has low light pollution. Mauna Kea’s summit hosts the world’s largest astronomical observatory. Not only is Mauna Kea one of nature’s beauties itself, but it is a vantage point to see more of nature’s beauty out in space!

Mauna Kea is accessible by hiking trails, and an access road which is paved up to 9,199 feet. Although care must be taken to adjust to the increasing altitude on the way up, the Mountain is much more accessible than McKinley or Everest: between 5,000-6,000 people visit its summit each year!





Xoxo,
Diana


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