Chimborazo: The Highest Peak on the Planet!

Chimborazo: The Highest Peak on Earth

Chimborazo is considered the highest peak in the world in terms of distance from the center of the Earth.

Although Everest is the highest peak above sea level, the Earth's ellipsoidal shape, with a larger radius at the equator than at the poles, places Chimborazo's summit farther from the center of the Earth than Everest's.

Chimborazo is 6,384.416 kilometers from the center of the Earth, while Everest is 6,382.605 kilometers away, approximately 2 kilometers less.

Why is Chimborazo considered the "highest" peak?

Contrary to popular belief, the title of "highest point on Earth" can be attributed to Chimborazo (6,263 m) rather than Everest (8,849 m) according to a certain geophysical definition. This peculiarity is explained by three scientific factors:

1. The Ellipsoidal Shape of the Earth

The Earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate spheroid. Its equatorial diameter (12,756 km) is larger than its polar diameter (12,714 km), creating a bulge at the equator of 42 kilometers. Chimborazo, located just 1° south of the equator, fully benefits from this bulge.

2. Measurement from the Center of the Earth

Measuring altitude not from sea level but from the center of the Earth:

• Chimborazo: 6,384.4 km from the center
• Everest: 6,382.3 km from the center

This difference of 2.1 km makes Chimborazo the peak closest to the sky.

3. Gravimetric Altitude

Due to centrifugal force, gravity is weaker at the equator. Chimborazo thus has a higher "gravitational altitude", meaning an object would weigh less there than the same object at Everest, even though the latter is higher relative to sea level.

Technical Comparison

This peculiarity makes Chimborazo a fascinating case study in geodesy. In 2016, a French expedition confirmed these measurements using high-precision GPS technology, validating that its summit is indeed the terrestrial point farthest from the center of our planet.