Trifter

Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world above sea level at 28,028 feet but when we count total height including below sea level Mauna Kea on the big island of Hawaii is the tallest mountain on planet earth.

Image Source (Mauna Kea at top of photo)

(The big island of Hawaii with Mauna Kea just north of the center)

According to Geology.com Mauna Kea has a total height in excess of 33,000 feet which is well above Mount Everest.

Image via Wikipedia (Everest at center)

Mauna Kea’s height above sea level is 13,796 feet and its base is over 19,000 feet below sea level and the total height of Mauna Kea is believed to be 33,474 feet which makes Mauna Kea the highest mountain in the world. If all the water on Earth was removed and you could somehow magically place Mauna Kea next to Mount Everest it would be crystal clear which mountain was taller. The difference in height between the two mountains is 5,446 feet.

Image Source (From the top of Mauna Kea)

In Hawaiian Kea means “white” and Mauna means “mountain” so Mauna Kea means “white mountain”. In the winter Mauna Kea becomes a snow capped mountain which makes it even more beautiful to see from a distance. I remember seeing the snow capped summit from neighboring Maui when visiting the fantastic Hawaiian Islands and can still clearly see that sight in my mind today many years later.

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Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano that is believed to be some 800,000 years old and last erupted some 4,000 years ago. It’s height is actually shrinking a little each year as its weight pushes down the Pacific Ocean floor and will likely continue to shrink unless it erupts again in the future.

Mauna Kea is a sacred place to the native Hawaiians and it’s not hard to see why. You can reach the summit of Mauna Kea by 4 wheel vehicle along a dirt road and there are a number of telescopes on the summit where the clear air and great height make for an ideal stargazing site.

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Some of the observatories are occasionally open to the public and travel tours are available to the summit.

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Some native Hawaiians are not happy with the way the summit of Mauna Kea is being used and court battles are being waged over the future use of the summit. Hopefully these issues can be resolved to the satisfaction of both sides. What cannot be disputed is that Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world and one beautiful site to behold.

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