It has been known since school days that the most high mountain on Earth - Everest (Chomolungma). This is true if you measure the height of the mountain only above sea level. In this regard, the question arises, what is the highest mountain in world Mauna Kea or Everest?

Not everyone knows that there are mountains on Earth that grow from the “bottom of the sea.” Mount Mauna Kea, located in the Hawaiian Islands, is one of them. It rises from the ocean, leaving almost 6,000 meters underwater. Only a small part of it rises above the surface of the water - only 4205 meters. This fact contributed to the classification of Mauna Kea as a low mountain. The actual height of the dormant volcano is more than 10,200 meters. If you measure the distance from the base of the mountain to its peak, it turns out that Chomolungma is not the highest mountain. Victory will remain with Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano.


Local tribes call it “White Mountain” because of the abundance of snow on the slopes, which skiers love. Among the local tribes, Mauna Kea is considered sacred mountain. Its age is almost a million years old. Only tribal leaders can climb to the top of a sleeping volcano to communicate with spirits.

For many centuries, the mountain fed and clothed the native tribes and provided them with material for construction. But in Lately everything has changed. The once dense and impenetrable forests have thinned out significantly, rare representatives of flora and fauna have disappeared or are on the verge of extinction. This happened due to a disruption of the eco-system due to the active reproduction of introduced “ big land» animals and deforestation by Europeans.

Every year, tourists from all over the world visit the White Mountain to admire the beautiful views and go skiing. The attraction of Mauna Kea is a large observatory with 13 powerful telescopes, located on the top. The favorable climate on its slopes, as well as convenient humidity levels, make observations here as comfortable as possible for scientists, allowing them to make unexpected discoveries.

Answering the question which mountain is higher - White Mountain or Everest, we can say with confidence that White Mountain is higher. Chomolungma rises 8848 meters above sea level, which is less than the height of Mauna Kea by more than a kilometer.
Despite this, Everest is the most popular among climbers. This is explained by its impressive height. Every year, thousands of people strive to reach the top of Everest, despite all the dangers that may await them during the climb. At the same time, many also dream of conquering the top of Mauna Kea. Despite the seemingly “simple” 4200 meters to overcome, it is not so easy to do, as even experienced climbers are convinced of.

The volcano is unofficially the highest mountain on the planet, if the height is taken as the distance from the foot of the mountain to the top. The peak is located in the Hawaiian Islands.

Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii

Despite the fact that the volcano rises above sea level “only” 4,205 meters, this mountain is the highest on our planet. Most of it is hidden under water, and its foot begins at a depth of about 6 kilometers. General height of Mauna Kea- 10210 m. Thus, it holds the record for the highest mountain on Earth.

Located on the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean and is the highest point in that region. The islanders have great respect for the mountain, considering it to be its peak sacred place. Even today, not all Hawaiians can climb to the summit, and only high-ranking chiefs are allowed to visit the peak.

The age of the mountain is about 1 million years, but it “lived” its most active period of life about 500 thousand years ago, and currently the volcano is extinct, and scientists believe that no eruption is expected in the foreseeable future. Although its activity cannot be completely ruled out, most residents of the region feel quite calm. The fact is that there are 13 observatories on the top of the mountain - the mountain is simply ideal for astronomical observations. Scientists who are constantly located above the very mouth of the volcano, as well as scientific geological equipment located there, minimize the suddenness of the onset of the eruption. Therefore, the USGS assigned the volcano the lowest possible rating.

Although Mauna Kea is located in tropical latitudes, at its summit all year round snow lies, forming large ice caps over the centuries. The slopes of the volcano are completely overgrown with dense forest, in some places almost impenetrable. The ancient Hawaiians revered the Mauna Kea bush, which provided them with food. Before Europeans arrived on the island, indigenous people existed thanks to the fruits of the forest. However, the appearance of domestic animals from the “mainland” only shook the ecological balance of nature, and some representatives of the unique fauna disappeared, and the rest are under pressure from introduced animals and plants. It got to the point that the Hawaiian authorities took an unprecedented step, announcing the beginning of the eradication of introduced species of flora and fauna.

Mauna Kea: flora and fauna

At the top there is the so-called alpine belt. This place is characterized by high lighting (and therefore high solar radiation). The average air temperature is below zero degrees. Strong winds are typical. Neither trees nor shrubs grow in such alpine meadows. Most of flora in this zone it is represented by low herbaceous perennials, including evergreens.

At the top of Mauna Kea is the Alpine Preserve. Under its protection are all representatives of the animal and plant world that live at such a high altitude. The wolf spider lives here, which can live at an altitude of 4,200 m. The total number of spiders on the summit is not known, since the study of the endemic began only in the 80s of the 20th century. A local attraction is the Forest Scarf butterfly, which hides in the crevices of stones that are heated and retain the heat received during the day.

Below the alpine meadows lies a forest of Goldenleaf Sophora, a leguminous tree found only in Hawaii. The forest area is constantly shrinking, under the yoke of introduced species. It is estimated that the current area of ​​Sophora's forests is only 10% of its former size, so they are declared critically endangered. Now the entire forest area (212 sq. km) is a nature reserve.

Below 2 km. there is a lower zone , which is also a nature reserve. It is home to 8 species of birds that are on the verge of extinction, and 12 species of plants, the numbers of which are also inexorably falling. The ecosystem was greatly damaged by Europeans who arrived in Hawaii and cut down a significant part of the trees for their settlements, as well as clearing places for future sugar plantations.

Despite the fact that Mauna Kea rises above sea level “only” a little over 4,200 meters, this mountain is the highest on our planet. Most of it is hidden under water, and its foot begins at a depth of more than 10,000 m. Thus, it is Mauna Kei that holds the record for the highest mountain, and not Everest, as is commonly believed.

Mauna Kea is located in the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean and is the highest point in that region.

The islanders have great respect for the mountain, considering its peak a sacred place. Even today, not all Hawaiians can climb to the summit, and only high-ranking chiefs are allowed to visit the peak of Mauna Kei.

The age of the mountain is about 1 million years, but it “lived” its most active period of life about 500 thousand years ago, and currently the volcano is extinct, and scientists believe that no eruption is expected in the foreseeable future. Although Mauna Kea activity cannot be completely ruled out, most residents of the region feel quite calm. The fact is that there are 13 observatories on the top of the mountain - the mountain is simply ideal for astronomical observations. Scientists who are constantly located above the very mouth of the volcano, as well as scientific geological equipment located there, minimize the suddenness of the onset of the eruption. Therefore, the USGS assigned the volcano the lowest possible rating.

Although Mauna Kea is located in tropical latitudes, snow lies on its summit all year round, having formed large ice caps over the centuries. The slopes of the volcano are completely overgrown with dense forest, in some places almost impenetrable.

The ancient Hawaiians revered the Mauna Kea bush, which provided them with food. Before the arrival of Europeans on the island, the indigenous population existed thanks to the fruits of the forest. However, the appearance of domestic animals from the “mainland” only shook the ecological balance of nature, and some representatives of the unique fauna disappeared, and the rest are under pressure from introduced animals and plants. It got to the point that the Hawaiian authorities took an unprecedented step, announcing the beginning of the eradication of introduced species of flora and fauna.

At the top of the volcano there is the so-called alpine belt. This place is characterized by high lighting (and therefore high solar radiation). The average air temperature is below zero degrees. Strong winds are typical. Neither trees nor shrubs grow in such alpine meadows. Most of the flora in this zone is represented by low herbaceous perennials, including evergreens.

At the top of Mauna Kea is the Alpine Belt Nature Reserve. Under its protection are all representatives of the animal and plant world that live at such a high altitude. The wolf spider lives here, which can live at an altitude of 4,200 m. The total number of spiders on the summit is not known, since the study of the endemic began only in the 80s of the 20th century.

A local attraction is the Forest Scarf butterfly, which hides in the crevices of stones that are heated and retain the heat received during the day

Below the alpine meadows lies a forest of Goldenleaf Sophora, a leguminous tree found only in Hawaii. The forest area is constantly shrinking, under the yoke of introduced species. It is estimated that the current area of ​​Sophora's forests is only 10% of its former size, so they are declared critically endangered. Now the entire forest area (212 sq. km) is a nature reserve.

Below 2 km. there is the lower zone of Mauna Kea, which is also a nature reserve. It is home to 8 species of birds that are on the verge of extinction, and 12 species of plants, the numbers of which are also inexorably falling. The ecosystem was greatly damaged by Europeans who arrived in Hawaii and cut down a significant part of the trees for their settlements, as well as clearing places for future sugar plantations.

More than 100 thousand tourists from all over the world visit the mountain every year. There is a road to the peak that can be used by powerful SUVs. The main attraction at the top of the volcano (besides the beautiful view) is the observatory. 13 scientific astronomical centers from 11 countries have been built on Mauna Kea.

During the winter months, when the snowpack is denser, many visitors to Mauna Kea ski. True, the routes are chosen not at the very top, where the wind speed can reach 110 km/h, but slightly lower.

The origins of Mauna Kea began approximately 800,000 years ago, the mountain is located on Hawaiian Islands .

Mauna Kea translates to " White Mountain", the name comes from the snow that covers the top of the mountain from November to March.

Joseph Goodrich climbed the mountain for the first time in 1823, but it still attracts climbers

Many different legends and stories are associated with Mauna Kea. Some Hawaiians today believe that the mountain is protected by the great goddess “Pele”, and if anyone encroaches on even a small piece of the mountain, she will inevitably kill that person.

Mount Mauna Kea is very unusual and beautiful.

Thousands of tourists come here every year to see what this very thing looks like. big mountain in the world, although it does not take first place in height.

Mauna Kea is an amazing and mysterious mountain in America .

White Mountain

The geological history of Mauna Kea is reflected in its legends. The main character in them is Pele. This creature is often called the goddess of fire and volcanoes, but this is not entirely accurate; Hawaiians classify Pele as a “kupua”, spirits with supernatural powers, messengers of the gods. In other words, kupua is approximately the same as an angel or demon among Christians and Muslims. There is a belief that the Cupua have descendants living among local residents. According to legend, one fine day Pele and her four friends: Lilinoe the mistress of the mists, Waioau, in whose power the underground waters (Waioau is the name of the lake on Mauna Kea), Kahoupokane, in charge of the springs, and Poliahu, the snow maiden, decided to go sledding from the cliffs (note: from the cliffs, there is no volcano yet!), and not just like that, but to organize a speed competition. It was unclear who won, but Pele declared that she was first, and the maidens began to quarrel. Kahoupokane stamped her foot in anger - and an earthquake began, Lilinoe shrouded everything in fog, Waioau released underground waters. Then Pele caused an underground fire that poured out hot lava. Poliakh owns the last point in this mythical-geological story: she was the first to reach the top of the fire-breathing mountain that rose from the ocean and covered it with snow. "Mauna Kea" means "White Mountain" in the local dialect. But Pele also did not give up and from time to time threw clots of hot lava at her rivals, and then resigned herself. Everything is the same as in the geological history of the volcano: according to it, eruptions after the main cataclysm periodically repeated for some time, and then stopped. This happened approximately 6000-4000 years ago. Since then, the Mauna Kea volcano has been dormant, and it appeared in the late Pleistocene era (the Pleistocene ended about 12,000 years ago).
The Mauna Kea volcano is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest mountain on Earth (10,203 m), higher (8850 m according to the latest measurements). You can find many references to such a comparison, but all of them are incorrect from the point of view of topographic measurements: the height of the mountain should be calculated from the surface of the earth, in this case from sea level, and not from the ocean floor. So Everest is Everest, and the true height of Mauna Kea is 4205 m.
Low humidity is ensured by the peculiarities of the volcano's topography. Due to the fact that its rocks constantly freeze and thaw, bands of fine-grained and coarse-grained rock material form, like streams flowing down the slopes of the cone. Along them, the melted water rushes to the foot of the volcano. Constantly moistened volcanic ash created fertile soil there. A tropical cloud layer, reaching about 600 m in thickness, is located below the peak and in turn insulates it from the penetration of humid sea air and air pollutants.
The upper level of Mauna Kea is figuratively called the kingdom of Aeolus (the god of the wind among the ancient Greeks). The wind speed at the top reaches 110 km/h. Solar radiation levels are high and oxygen levels are low. Here, in the alpine belt, only herbaceous perennials grow, spiders live, and among them the endemic wolf spider and the endemic forest scarf butterfly. Below begins a forest of shrubs or trees of the golden-leaved Sophora of the legume family, endemic to Hawaii. The current area of ​​these forests has decreased by 10% from what was first determined in the 19th century. The area of ​​these forests today is 212 km 2, they are declared protected areas. Below starts a tropical forest, where 8 species of endemic birds nest alone, and 12 species of plants, unique even for the endemic-rich flora of Hawaii.
The main attraction of Mauna Kea is its astronomical complex at the top: it is 13 scientific centers 11 countries and, accordingly, 13 most advanced telescopes. The complex appeared on Mauna Kea in 1964, shortly after a road was built to the top. Conservationists of the volcano mountain have a number of serious arguments against the existence of observatories. Well, the most significant argument in favor relates to safety considerations: the most precise astronomical instruments will be the first to notice the slightest disturbance in the mouth of a volcano, and the fact that it may one day wake up is not at all excluded, according to volcanologists.

general information

One of the five volcanoes of the island of Hawaii. The other four are Mauna Loa, Kilauea, Hualalai, Kohala.
Type: panel.
Geographical position: Oceania, Hawaii island archipelago Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Affiliation: USA, Hawaii, the most high point state.
Climbing season: all year round.
Lake: Waioau.
Best season to practice alpine skiing and snowboarding: from late January to March.
Most important airport: international Airport Honolulu (Oahu Island) Hawaiian archipelago).

Numbers

Height: 4205 m.
Area of ​​the Island of Hawaii (Big Island): 10,432.5 km 2.
Area of ​​Mauna Kea: 2378.61 km 2 or 22.8% of the island's area.

Economy

Scientific research.
Tourism.

Climate and weather

Mountain (alpine).
Temperatures on the summit of Mauna Kea range from -4°C to +4°C during the winter months, but the winds make it feel much colder.
IN summer months temperature ranges from 0 to +15°C.
Average annual precipitation : on slopes - 800 mm, at the foot - up to 4000 mm.

Attractions

Waioau is one of the highest lakes in the world - it is located at an altitude of 3968 m.

Researchers from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan reported in April 2012 that, working at the observatory on Mauna Kea, they had discovered the most distant cluster of galaxies from Earth. The distance to it is 12.7 billion light years. This is more than 70 million light years greater than the distance to the most distant cluster of galaxies known so far. The scientific significance of the discovery is that it may change the current view of the evolution of galaxies after the Big Bang.

Few people know that Mauna Kea, located in Hawaii, is considered higher than Everest. True, only the peak of this giant can be seen above sea level, since it protrudes from the water at 4205 meters. The rest of the mountain is hidden from view, so it is rare that this mountain is among the highest. The absolute height of the peak is 10,203 meters, which exceeds Everest by more than a kilometer.

Mauna Kea - a dangerous volcano or a calm mountain?

The volcano is classified as a shield volcano due to its shield-like shape. In pictures the crater is not clearly expressed and more often it looks like a caldera. This species appears due to frequent eruptions of high temperature liquid lava. The magma flow in this case covers the entire surrounding area and forms a slightly sloping slope.

Mauna Kea appeared a million years ago, and its peak activity ended 250,000 years ago. Currently, researchers classify it as extinct and set minimum values ​​for the probability of awakening. Shield volcanoes It is typical to go through several stages:

• pre-panel - occurs from the moment the hot spot is formed;
• shield period – is the most active period;
• post-shield – the form is finally formed, but the behavior is already predictable;
• inaction.

Today it is the highest mountain in the world, most of which is under water. It is part of the Hawaiian archipelago and one of Hawaii's most striking attractions. What makes Mauna Kea special is its snow cap, which is rare to see in tropical climates. That is why the name appeared, meaning “White Mountain”.

Tourists come here not only to soak up the beach, but also to go skiing or snowboarding. The view from the mountain is stunning, so you can do beautiful photos or just take a walk around the surrounding area, because there are several nature reserves here due to the presence of dozens of endangered endemic species.

World Observatory

Since Hawaii is located close to the equator, the island becomes an ideal place for astronomical observations. It is not surprising that the highest mountain in the world has become a real center for the study of celestial bodies. Mauna Kea is located far enough from the city that the lights are not likely to spoil the view, resulting in ideal atmospheric clarity.

Today there are 13 telescopes on the mountain from different countries. Among the most significant are the Keck Interferometer Telescope, NASA Infrared Telescopes and the Japanese Subaru Telescope. If you want to take a look at this large-scale center for astronomical research, you can connect to a webcam that allows you to watch the work of the observatories online.

Not everyone knows that Mauna Kea is famous for another record. Not only are telescopes from eleven countries gathered at the summit, but they are also located at the highest point, exceeding 40% of the atmospheric layer. At this altitude it is relatively dry, so no clouds form, which is ideal for year-round stargazing.

Flora and fauna of the giant mountain

Mauna Kea – amazing place, where several nature reserves are located. Each of them occupies a certain area depending on the height of the mountain. The summit is a rather aggressive environment with high illumination and solar radiation. This is an alpine zone characterized by low temperatures and strong winds.

The flora in this zone consists of perennial low-growing grasses, most of which are evergreen. In the Alpine Belt Nature Reserve, they are trying to monitor an endangered species of wolf spider, which chooses altitudes of more than 4,000 meters as its habitat. Forest scarf butterflies are also found here; they hide from the cold between the stones.

The second layer is occupied by a reserve protecting the Golden-leaved Sophora. These leguminous trees grow exclusively in Hawaii, but their population declined significantly after Europeans arrived on the island in the 18th century. Currently, the number of trees is 10% of the original forest size. The area of ​​the reserve is estimated at 210 square meters. km.

The lower elevation of Mauna Kea is the third reserve, which is home to endangered species of plants and birds. Ecosystems have been severely damaged by imported cattle and sheep, as well as extensive clearing for sugar plantations. To preserve endangered species, it was decided to eradicate introduced species from the island.