Let’s talk about that Equatorial Bulge, shall we?
There’s a little excitement among peak baggers whether Ecuador’s Mt.Chimborazo is higher than Asia’s Mt. Everest.
The easiest way to explain this is to take a look at the math. No, wait, that’s kinda complicated… so let’s say this. Earth isn’t a perfect sphere. It’s more like a tomato.
If I were at the center of the earth, you were on top of Mt. Everest, and your friend were on top of Chimborazo, your friend would be farther away from me than you. All because of the Equatorial Bulge.
Of course, we measure the height of mountains from sea level, not from the center of the earth. So, since the sea level is higher around the equator than at Everest’s latitude, isn’t Mt. Everest still higher?