Despite sophisticated methods, the precise height of Mount Everest is yet to be calculated. (Photo credit: Unsplash)
New Delhi: Do they climb up there? That is the first question that comes to mind when we wonder how the mountains have been measured. How do the experts and the governments measure the tall mountains on this planet? No, they do not climb to the peak for that. They deploy several methods to deduce the height, each involving calculations that one can do from the home.
But, how even?
The height of Mount Everest is 29,029 feet and it has been known since the middle of the 19th century. But how? Back then there were no technologies of today’s age, nor did anyone conquer its peak. The actual work of measuring the mountain’s height began with Andrew Waugh.
His team used a method called triangulation in which observers examined the peak from several points. Knowing the distance from the points to the mountain, they were then able to measure the angle from Everest’s peak to their observation points. They faced several challenges, but their calculations were still insanely accurate! It is a method which is deployed even to this day for such calculations.
The calculation in today’s age
Nowadays, however, basic trigonometry has been boosted by an array of satellites. When a satellite pings a receiver tower on Earth, it can calculate that point’s location in a given coordinate system with incredible precision.
The calculation depends on two factors: The radio signal travels at the speed of light and the position of the satellite at that time. Also, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, geographers today use a mathematical method to calculate the height. First, they consider the absence of winds or tides. Then they imagine that water from the seas could reach interior continental areas through tiny, narrow channels. The resultant irregularly shaped spheroid is the mean sea level which is known as geoid. It is from the geoid that the height of a mountain is measured.
Despite sophisticated gravimeters, complicated equations and fancy tools like global positioning systems, the precise height of Mount Everest is yet to be calculated. Guess such calculations will always have a margin of error, won’t they?
