Mount Everest Not Tallest Anymore.
Mauna Kea, a volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii is the tallest mountain. Since some portion of Mauna kea is submerged below Pacific Ocean, its height seems to be shorter than Mount Everest. But in reality, Mauna Kea rises more than 33,500 feet [10,210 meters] from base to peak whereas Mount Everest's highest altitude above mean sea level is 29,029 feet [8,848 meters].
Mauna Kea : The Tallest Mountain
Mauna Kea is a dormant Volcano which is loacated in Hawaii. It has a height of 4,207.3 m (13,803 ft) above sea level which is less than height of M. Everest but if measured from base to peak Mauna Kea succeeds the M. Everest. Mauna Kea last erupted about 6,000 to 4,000 years ago and is now considered dormant volcano. With its dry environment, stable airflow and high elevation, Mauna Kea'Kea is considered as one of the best sites in the world for astronomical studies. After development of an access road in 1964, eleven countries funded to setup 13 telescopes at summit. Mauna Kea has been formed due to movement of pacific tectonic plates over Hawaiian hotspot in Earth's underlying mantle, like other volcanoes. It is one of five volcanoes of Hawaii Island and is fourth oldest and fourth most actice volcano.
Formation Of Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea was a preshield volcano around one million years ago, and was known to be active during its shield stage until 500,000 years ago. It became inactive in its post-shield stage about 250,000 to 200,000 years ago, and is currently dormant. It does not have a visible summit but has small pumice cones and cinder neat summit.
Mauna Kea is the only volcano to have glaciation evidence. There has been temperature drop during summer time snow has been noted at its summit. Lake Waiau, the highest lake in the Pacific Basin is located in Mauna Kea and is the only alpine lake in Hawaii. This lake is very shallow and small, with a surface area of 0.73 ha (1.80 acres) and a depth of 3 m (10 ft). Radiocarbon dating of samples from the base of the lake indicates that it was clear of ice 12,600 years ago.
Will It Erupt Again ?
Mauna Kea lastly erupted about 4600 years ago. Mauna Kea is expected to erupt again although its dormant for now. It is not likely to become active in the next few centuries, and even if such an eruption take place it would probably result in little loss of life but significant damage to infrastructure.
Did you know ?
Ancient people dipped umblical cord of babies in Lake Waiau as they believed that it would make the babies stronger like Mauna Kea. The five volcanoes of Hawaii are believed as sacred for Hawaiian civilians and Mauna Kea's summit is believed to be highly sacred as its the largest of them. Hawaiians always compared elements of their natural environment with particular gods and worshipped them. According to Hawaiian mythology, the summit of Mauna Kea was believed as the "region of the gods", a place where sacred spirits reside. There are 15 threatened and endangered plants, three endangered birds, and one endangered bat species in the area.
Joseph F. Goodrich, an American missionary, was the first person to climb on Mauna Kea on August 26, 1823. He made this ascent in a single day. When he reached at top, he observed a small arrangement of stones that suggested that he was not the first human on the summit.
David Douglas,
a botanist
There is a site named after David Douglas, a botanist. David Douglas climbed the mountain on January 1834 and described about the division of plant species by altitude. On a second climb in July, he died by falling in a pit intended to catch wild cattle. Although people suspected it as a murder, it was probably an accidental fall.
So next time if someone asks you to name world's Tallest Mountain, say Mount Kea and look his/her face expression.
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