Editing Mountain (section)

==Superlatives==
{{Main|List of highest mountains}}
[[File:Comparison of Earth farthest points.svg|thumb|upright|Everest is highest from sea level (green), {{nowrap|Mauna Kea is highest}} from its base (orange), {{nowrap|Cayambe is farthest}} from Earth's axis (pink) and {{nowrap|Chimborazo is farthest}} from Earth's centre (blue)]]
Heights of mountains are typically measured [[above sea level]]. Using this metric, [[Mount Everest]] is the highest mountain on Earth, at {{convert|8848|m|ft}}.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 April 2010 |title=Nepal and China agree on Mount Everest's height |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8608913.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303133522/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8608913.stm |archive-date=3 March 2012 |access-date=22 August 2010 |work=BBC News}}</ref> There are at least 100 mountains with heights of over {{convert|7200|m|ft|0}} above sea level, all of which are located in central and southern Asia. The highest mountains above sea level are generally not the highest above the surrounding terrain. There is no precise definition of surrounding base, but [[Denali]],<ref name="helman">{{Cite book |last=Helman |first=Adam |title=The Finest Peaks: Prominence and Other Mountain Measures |publisher=[[Trafford]] |year=2005 |isbn=1-4122-3664-9 |page=9 |quote=the base to peak rise of Denali is the largest of any mountain that lies entirely above sea level, some 18,000 feet.}}</ref> [[Mount Kilimanjaro]] and [[Nanga Parbat]] are possible candidates for the tallest mountain on land by this measure. The bases of mountain islands are below sea level, and given this consideration [[Mauna Kea]] ({{cvt|4207|m|ft|0}} above sea level) is the world's tallest mountain and volcano, rising about {{cvt|10203|m|ft|0}} from the [[Pacific Ocean]] floor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mountains: Highest Points on Earth |url=http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/surface-of-the-earth/mountains-article/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100703123427/http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/surface-of-the-earth/mountains-article |archive-date=3 July 2010 |access-date=19 September 2010 |publisher=National Geographic Society}}</ref>

The highest mountains are not generally the most voluminous. [[Mauna Loa]] ({{cvt|4169|m|ft|0|disp=or}}) is the largest mountain on Earth in terms of base area (about {{cvt|2000|sqmi|km2|-2|disp=or}}) and volume (about {{cvt|18000|mi3|km3|-3|disp=or}}).<ref>{{Cite conference |last=Kaye |first=G. D. |year=2002 |title=Using GIS to estimate the total volume of Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii |url=http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2002CD/finalprogram/abstract_34712.htm |conference=Geological Society of America |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125194545/http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2002CD/finalprogram/abstract_34712.htm |archive-date=25 January 2009 |book-title=98th Annual Meeting |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Mount Kilimanjaro]] is the largest non-shield volcano in terms of both base area ({{cvt|245|sqmi|km2|0|disp=or}}) and volume ({{cvt|1150|mi3|km3|0|disp=or}}). [[Mount Logan]] is the largest non-volcanic mountain in base area ({{cvt|120|sqmi|km2|0|disp=or}}).

The highest mountains above sea level are also not those with peaks farthest from the centre of the Earth, because the [[figure of the Earth]] is not spherical. Sea level closer to the equator is several miles farther from the centre of the Earth. The summit of [[Chimborazo]], Ecuador's tallest mountain, is usually considered to be the farthest point from the Earth's centre, although the southern summit of Peru's tallest mountain, [[Huascarán]], is another contender.<ref name="Krulwich2007" /> Both have elevations above sea level more than {{convert|2|km|ft}} less than that of Everest.