It's relatively well known that Everest is the highest mountain above sea level, and that Mauna Kea in Hawaii is the tallest mountain from base to top.
But how tall is Everest from base to top? Or to put it another way, how high is Everest's base?
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2$\begingroup$ A difference between the two examples that you mention is that Mauna Kea stands pretty much alone - it's a single mountain from seabed to peak. It's much harder to define where the "base" of Everest is. $\endgroup$– Semidiurnal SimonOct 3, 2019 at 18:35
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$\begingroup$ Hmm... this is a relatively simple question. Shouldn't Google be the place to go for this? Please don't ask questions just because you can, try to google it first. If you can't find a clear cut answer, then come back here! Just my thoughts... $\endgroup$– user17688Oct 6, 2019 at 2:37
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$\begingroup$ Much of Mauna Kea is underwater however. The tallest mountain from base to peak above the sea is Mt McKinley (Denali) in Alaska. $\endgroup$– user29677Sep 26, 2023 at 11:27
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2 Answers
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The height of Everest above its base depends on where one considers its base to be - and this depends on which side of the mountain one looks.
According to Wikipedia,
reasonable base elevations for Everest range from 4,200 m (13,800 ft) on the south side to 5,200 m (17,100 ft) on the Tibetan Plateau, yielding a height above base in the range of 3,650 to 4,650 m (11,980 to 15,260 ft).
answered Oct 4, 2019 at 16:55
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$\begingroup$ yeah defining the base is the hard part, technically much of the mountain is below ground, reminiscent of a iceberg. $\endgroup$– JohnOct 5, 2019 at 1:15
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The 1954 recorded height of 8,848 m remains the accepted figure for height. As for the elevation of Everest's base, it is 5,380 m (at 17,600 ft).
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$\begingroup$ Oh, interesting. How is the base defined? $\endgroup$ Oct 4, 2019 at 16:42
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$\begingroup$ According to South Base Camp in Nepal, since North Base Camp in China has its access restricted. $\endgroup$– aitíaOct 4, 2019 at 16:47
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$\begingroup$ I don't think the elevation of a base camp is the same as the elevation of the base of a mountain - they are the same word, but with different meanings. $\endgroup$ Oct 4, 2019 at 16:53
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$\begingroup$ Having said, that, it appears to be in the right ballpark. From Wikipedia, "reasonable base elevations for Everest range from 4,200 m (13,800 ft) on the south side to 5,200 m (17,100 ft) on the Tibetan Plateau" $\endgroup$ Oct 4, 2019 at 16:53