Trivia
HardThe Point On The Earth’s Surface Farthest From Its Center Is Located At?
Answer: Chimborazo, Ecuador
Most of the time we measure the height of mountain peaks from sea level. Sometimes we mix it up a little and measure their height from the continental shelf and every now and then you can even argue over which peak is the highest if you measure from the depths of the sea floor.
While measuring in the aforementioned fashions certainly will give you more than a few high peaks to admire, there’s one particular peak that often goes overlooked because it’s only the tallest in the world if you measure with a rather unconventional measuring stick: distance from the very center of the Earth.
Thanks to the phenomenon of equatorial bulge, wherein the equator of planets bulge slightly outward due to the centrifugal forces generated by the rotation of the planet, any mountains on or near the equator get a bit of a boost. Thanks to this boost the dormant stratovolcano Chimborazo, found in the portion of the Andes mountain range passing through central Ecuador, isn’t the highest peak when measured from sea level (at mere 20,564 feet), but when measured from the center of the Earth it has the highest elevation of any point on Earth’s surface.
What’s fascinating about the whole distance-from-the-center-of-the-Earth business is that because Chimborazo sits almost directly on the equator (it is only one degree off), the boost it receives from equatorial bulge is so significant that despite not even being the tallest peak in the Andes range it ends up being farther from the center of the planet than any other peak on Earth, including its much taller immediate neighbors.
Trivia
Very HardWhich Spider Weaves The Largest Webs In The World?
Trivia
EasyMP3, The Ubiquitous File Type, Stands For What?
Trivia
HardIn Russia It Is A Tradition For Cosmonauts And Astronauts To Do What Before Blasting Off Into Space?
Trivia
HardTamagotchis, The Fad “Pocket Pet” Toy That Swept The Late 1990s, Was Created By What Company?
Trivia
HardWhich Color Name Was Introduced To The English Language Via Plant?
Trivia
HardGummy Bears Were Invented In?
Trivia
EasyWhich Electronics Company Originally Sold Noodles?
Trivia
HardThe First Radio Jingle Was An Advertisement For Which Of These Products?
Trivia
HardThe Phrase “See You Later, Alligator” Is A Reference To What?